The Leopard Son: A True Story - Hardcover

Bringing the Leopard Son Home to Stay! Adapted from the Discovery Channel's wildlife feature film about a young leopard's coming-of-age, this true story of life on Africa's Serengeti plain transports children and their parents into a world both dangerous and delightful. There, they will share the adventures of a real leopard cub, whose growing up was painstakingly filmed by acclaimed naturalist Hugo van Lawick. From a tiny, fluffy cub, secure in the trunk of an acacia tree, the leopard grows into a capable hunter, finally able to live on his own. Bounding around the feet of a giraffe, exploring a snake eagle's nest, wrapping himself in his mother's long, slender tail, he discovers how to hunt, how to hide, and how to stay one step ahead of trouble. This rare and authentic rendering of a young leopard's early life--never before captured in such intimate detail--will enchant readers of all ages.

Based on Hugo van Lawick's film for the Discovery Channel, this book follows the life of a leopard from fuzzy cub to grown cat in an series of deftly linked vignettes. In "The Tree," a two-month-old leopard cub observes the strange, wide world of East Africa's Serengeti plain from the branches of a spreading acacia tree; in "The Danger," a lion menacingly stalks below; and in "The Lesson" the cub tumbles down the tree with a "Bump!" so the mother leopard can teach him to hunt, hide and sniff danger. The leopard's dependency extends through the dry season, but when the rains finally return?"Giraffes glide through the damp dust, heads swaying in the sudden shower. The world is washed clean"?the mother does not. The leopard strikes out on his own: "With a swish of his tail, he disappears into the tall grass." While readers are unlikely to forget that the book is inspired by a television nature special, all aspects of the book support the remarkable photography. Well-honed text unifies a collage of wildlife and landscape photographs?juxtaposed, inset, cut into shapes?and the inventive format is further enlivened by frolicsome pawprints and bouncy, hand-lettered titles. A spirited coming-of-age tale for animal enthusiasts. Ages 5-up.
Copyright 1996 Reed Business Information, Inc.