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Wednesday, October 19, 2016

Rise of the Lioness: Restoring a Habitat and its Pride on the Liuwa Plains by Bradley Hague

Rise of the Lioness: Restoring a Habitat and its Pride on the Liuwa Plains 
by Bradley Hague
Published September 2016
National Geographic Children's Books
Nonfiction
56 pages
Review copy provided by publisher

Goodreads Summary
Poaching and war damaged an isolated wilderness in West Zambia, reducing its lion population to just one: Lady, the last lioness. Witness Lady's fight for survival in this evocative narrative on the decline, fall, and rebirth of the Liuwa Plains. Follow Lady as she grapples with a landscape altered by human hands and discover how both Lady and humankind restore balance to the environment. 

More than a story about one brave lion, The Lioness offers a great introduction to life science by looking at the workings of an ecosystem, the methods of scientists and environmentalists, and explaining the interconnection between the plant, animal, and human systems.

My Thoughts
I am so glad to know this story. Like many, I find animal stories fascinating. It amazes me how scientists can painstakingly study animal behavior to learn more about the world as a whole. Kids will enjoy this story for a number of reasons. Although it is not the sole focus, they will find Lady's story of survival fascinating. Through her story, they will learn about lion behavior and how she used her skill and instinct to stay alive.

They will also learn about ecosystems through the story of the rebirth of war torn Liuwa. This narrative text explains the delicate balance of an ecosystem and how plants and animals depend on one another. It also explains how Liuwa reintroduced herbivores such as elad and buffalo into the plains and later introduced more predators such as lions. 

Because of the narrative text, I can imagine reading it aloud to students a little at a time. 

Since it is a book by National Geographic, it is filled with gorgeous close up, original photographs as well as maps, charts and diagrams. 

Rise of the Lioness would make an excellent addition to any school or classroom library. 

1 comment:

  1. Just ordered this from my library, thanks to your recommendation.

    ReplyDelete