The Last Leopard

May 1, 2009
Gr 4-7-In this third book about Martine and her amazing gift for healing animals, the 11-year-old, her grandmother, and her friend Ben leave their South African home for Zimbabwe. They are going to help her grandmother's friend, who has had an accident, but the trip turns into much more. A giant leopard said to be in hiding in the hills near the ranch where they are staying desperately needs Martine's help. Many legends surround the creature, and the place of his death is ostensibly where a long-hidden treasure will be found. Because of this, many are determined to hunt the animal down. Through Martine's eyes, readers discover many issues plaguing modern Zimbabwe, from police corruption to animal poaching and the opportunism and tourism that threaten the traditional way of life. This fast-paced adventure story, inspired by an actual leopard now in a game preserve in Zimbabwe, includes elements that will appeal to a broad audience. Although having read "The White Giraffe" (2007) and "Dolphin Song" (2008, both Dial) gives fuller insight into Martine's story, St. John does a good job of catching readers up on the past without retelling those plots. Considering that the movie version of "The White Giraffe" is due out this year, there is sure to be particular interest in this series."Genevieve Gallagher, Buford Middle School, Charlottesville, VA"

Copyright 2009 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

February 15, 2009
Grades 4-7 Like its prequel, The White Giraffe (2007), this uncomplicated adventure offers plenty of narrow squeaks and a strong animal-conservation message while being shot through with threads of mysticism. Traveling with her grandmother and her best friend, Ben, to an isolated lodge in Zimbabwe, 11-year-old Martine finds herself immediately pitched into a desperate search for a particularly huge and elusive leopard. Also on the trail are both treasure hunters and a ruthless organizer of canned safaristhe kind that offer up captured animals for easy slaughter. Along the way to a breathless, if predictable, climax, Martine and Ben see mysterious leopard images, receive cryptic but significant advice from two shamans, and are chased, confined, and nearly killed in landslides. In the end, the bad guys get whats coming to them, and thanks to her ability to communicate with animals, Martine is not only able to heal the wounded leopard but to form a lasting attachment with it. The author makes heavy use of convenient coincidences, but readers with a predilection for tales spun around close encounters with magnificent wild creatures wont be bothered.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2009, American Library Association.)