Review by Booklist Review
Wildlife photographer Eszterhas, creator of the Wildlife Rescue series (Sea Otter Rescue, 2016), offers up an account of the time she spent fostering a baby serval. Eszterhas first met the young wildcat when she was living in the Masai Mara wildlife reserve in Kenya. Lost during a grass fire and too young to survive on his own, the kitten was brought to a ranger station and later to animal-experienced Eszterhas, until he could return to the wild. Eszterhas, who named the kitten Moto after the Swahili word for fire, documents both life as photographer in a bush camp and the care she gave Moto, from brushing his fur with a toothbrush to teaching him to hunt. Moto eventually returns to the wild, and Eszterhas makes it clear that this is a happy ending. Her many photos of Moto, both as a fluffy-faced baby and an active, handsome adult, are the clear scene-stealers, but plenty of interesting facts on servals are included. More than one reader will consider following in Eszterhas' footsteps.--Reagan, Maggie Copyright 2017 Booklist
From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by Publisher's Weekly Review
Wildlife photographer Eszterhas (the Wildlife Rescue series) offers a tender chronicle of her time living on the Masai Mara wildlife reserve in Kenya, where she raised an orphaned serval kitten. Eszterhas's sharp photographs preserve moments from her time with Moto, including cleaning and bottle-feeding the animal, as well as carrying him in a pouch during photography expeditions ("I felt like a kangaroo mom with her joey"). Eszterhas explains how she slowly began to reintroduce Moto to the natural world, allowing his survival instincts to develop. Moto's eventual return to the wild is poignant, but Eszterhas repeatedly emphasizes that living as a wildcat is best for Moto: "I love to picture him hunting in the long grass of the savanna, under the African moon." It's a vibrant, small-scale comeback story. Ages 7-10. (Apr.) © Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.
(c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved
Review by School Library Journal Review
Gr 1-3-Wildlife photographer Eszterhas recounts her experience fostering an orphaned serval kitten named Moto, the Swahili word for fire, at the Maasai Mara National Reserve in Kenya. Eszterhas gently explains how Moto came to be separated from his mother and siblings (pesky tourists!) before chronicling her yearlong relationship with the creature. Anecdotes about feeding, grooming, and eventually teaching Moto how to hunt and survive in the wild are accompanied by stunning photos. Moto's curious and playful nature shines as he matures from an impossibly cute tiny kitten to a full-grown serval, climbing trees and stalking prey. The intimacy of the images is well suited to the personal story and will attract readers. Eszterhas emphasizes the great responsibility of returning Moto to the wild and the importance of his developing independence. The text also briefly describes the purpose of the Maasai Mara National Reserve, with an accompanying map of its location in Kenya, while the endnotes provide supplemental information about servals. VERDICT A tender and heartwarming account that's certain to delight children, especially animal lovers.-Kelly Topita, Anne Arundel County Public Library, MD © Copyright 2017. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
(c) Copyright Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Review by Horn Book Review
Wildlife photographer Eszterhas recounts her experience in Kenya fostering an orphaned serval kitten (spotted wildcat) named Moto. Striking photographs and useful captions enhance the chronicle of Eszterhas's journey from her first days learning to care for Moto to his bittersweet return to the wild. Brief sections and a table of contents make up for the lack of an index. Important facts about servals appended. (c) Copyright 2018. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
(c) Copyright The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Review by Kirkus Book Review
A nature photographer fosters a wild serval kitten in Kenya. Combining irresistible images and a narrative that's both informative and heartwarming, Eszterhas, a wildlife photographer who was living in a tent in the Masai Mara wildlife reserve at the time, describes how she nurtured an orphaned wildcat for nearly a year, helping him develop the skills he needed to return to the wild. Readers will be drawn in by the charming cover image of the kitten, but that's only the beginning. Every spread includes the author/illustrator's photos, carefully selected and artfully arranged. They illustrate the actions described in the text and chronicle Moto's growth. Each spread has a topic title and three or four paragraphs of text accessible to early readers, with a satisfying amount of information. The author describes her home in the bush camp, the incident that separated Moto from her birth mother and family, and details of her fostering: a stuffed-animal companion, bottle feeding and his first mouse, adventures outside, and his growing independence. The inclusion of maps, a table of contents, and some general facts about servals make this far more than a sweet story; it's a model of narrative nonfiction for the elementary-age audience. Not just for fans of cat pictures, this is an encouraging example of wildlife rescue and release with guaranteed child appeal. (Informational picture book. 4-9) Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
