Reading/Interest Level: Primary, Intermediate
Author: Sy Monygomery
Illustrator: Nic Bishop
Publisher: Houghton Mifflin Books for Children
In another great addition to the Scientists in the Field series, readers can discover the mysterious tapir and the people who study them. Tapirs, prehistoric tropical animals that live in Brazil, are creatures that most people have never heard of, but scientists like Pati Medici have dedicated their lives to the study and protection of tapirs. The book has fact sheets, biographies of the scientist team, and descriptions of the region that the tapirs live in.
This book is packed with gorgeous full-page photography that makes it look like a coffee table book, facts about tapirs and the environment they live in, and the story of scientists who spend their lives on an adventure to learn more about the animals. The writing and photographs take the reader out of their current location and to a new world of unique animals and the world of scientific discovery. The way the book is written helps the reader feel like they are tagging along with the scientists themselves, and all readers will come away with a better understanding of tapirs and the scientific process.