A Leopard Diary: My Journey into the Hidden World of a Mother and Her Cubs

There’s nothing quite like getting up-close sightings of elusive wildlife. That’s Suzi Eszterhas’ specialty as an award-winning wildlife photographer. And what better way to bring this incredible world to kids’ reading level than with a picture book using her amazing photos. Following a secretive leopard with new cubs to record their activities, she takes young readers right to the scene, engaging them with diary entries as the cubs grow up and learn survival skills. This story spans almost two years of intermittent trips to Tubu Tree Camp in the Okavango Delta in Botswana, southern Africa. It concludes with a conversation with Kambango, the local guide/tracker who made it possible for the author to find the cats in the wild.

The author’s writing style is perfect for a young audience of animal lovers. She shares her reactions and emotions—excitement, impatience, fear, exhaustion, delight—naturally in easy to read and often amusing text. She describes the surprises and the challenges of her work, and the satisfaction of getting those one-of-a-kind photos. Her dedication over the long term to her goals is plain. The message is clear: if you want to achieve something, work hard, stick with it. Her sense of wonder at being fortunate enough to spend time with remarkable wild animals elevates our understanding of the value of nature.

The numerous animated photos are, of course, top notch, and well-integrated, showing the leopard family engaged in play, quiet time, and hunting. The pages are designed like a photo album, with attractive placement of the framed images using a pleasing variety of page colors. Caption inserts add extra details about the animals’ habits that don’t fit smoothly into the diary observations. Between images and facts, the reader will gain considerable knowledge about this species.

Both the author and Kambango share a commitment to the non-profit organization, Children in the Wilderness, promoting the importance of conservation among rural youngsters in Africa. A portion of the royalties from A Leopard Diary will be donated to CITW.