Abayomi, the Brazilian Puma
The True Story of an Orphaned Cub
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- $5.99
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- $5.99
Publisher Description
From the award-winning team that brought you WISDOM, THE MIDWAY ALBATROSS, comes a new heart-warming story of an orphaned puma cub.
A mother puma, an attempt to steal a chicken and an angry chicken farmer—the search is on for orphaned cubs. Will the scientists be able to find the cubs before their time runs out?
In this “Biography in Text and Art,” Harvill takes original photos as references to create accurate wildlife illustrations. These aren’t generic cats, but one particular individual in detail. Pattison’s careful research, vetted by scientists in the field, brings to life this this true story of an infant cub that must face a complicated world alone—and find a way to survive.
Other books by Pattison/Harvill
Praise for Wisdom, the Midway Albatross: Surviving the Japanese Tsunami and other Disasters for Over 60 Years
STARRED REVIEW “. . .Pattison writes crisply and evocatively. . .”
“Harvill contributes carefully detailed and naturalistic illustrations. . .”
--Publisher’s Weekly (starred review)
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Translated into eight languages, children’s book author Darcy Pattison writes picture books, middle grade novels, and children’s nonfiction. Previous titles include The Journey of Oliver K. Woodman (Harcourt), Searching for Oliver K. Woodman (Harcourt), The Wayfinder (Greenwillow), 19 Girls and Me (Philomel), Prairie Storms (Sylvan Dell), Desert Baths (Desert Baths), and Wisdom, the Midway Albatross (Mims House.) Her work has been recognized by **starred reviews** in Kirkus, BCCB, and PW. Desert Baths was named a 2013 Outstanding Science Trade Book and the Library Media Connection, Editor’s Choice. She is a member of the Society of Children’s Bookwriters and Illustrators and the Author’s Guild. For more information, see darcypattison.com.
ABOUT THE ILLUSTRATOR
Kitty Harvill specializes in wildlife art, especially endangered species, and works in watercolor, pastel, oil and cut paper. She has a dual residency in Arkansas/U.S. and Brazil and is actively involved with the conservation efforts in southern Brazil. Recent titles include Wisdom, the Midway Albatross (Mims House), Up, Up, Up! It’s Apple-
Picking Time (Holiday House) and Vida Livre (published in Brazil). Born in Clarksville, Tennessee, Harvill holds degrees in painting and illustration. For more information, see www.facebook.com/KittyHarvill.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
Pattison and Harvill, who collaborated on Wisdom, the Midway Albatross, return with another real-life animal survival story. This one focuses on a puma cub, born in Brazil in 2012, who was orphaned after his mother was captured by a local chicken farmer. Pattison briefly discusses the problems that human development poses for Brazil's pumas before moving on to the cub, named Abayomi ("happy meeting") by his rescuers. The writing alternates between poetic moments ("How does a puma cub survive without his mother? He must hunt") and reportorial passages, including an account of how Abayomi's mother was captured, which bogs down with extraneous detail ("Suddenly, at 2:15 a.m., on November 27, she was caught in the chicken coop trap"). Tense changes distract, and Abayomi's story ends inconclusively, drawing murky parallels between the invisibility of wild pumas to humans and scientists' need to remain out of sight while caring for the cub. Harvill's muted, realistic portraits of Brazilian fauna and flora give a strong sense of the pumas' threatened natural habitat. Endnotes provide addition information and resources. Ages 6 12.
