Sy Montgomery and Nic Bishop, the Sibert Medal–winning duo behind Kakapo Rescue, here focus on the lowland tapir in this addition to the Scientists in the Field series. The animal lives in the Brazilian Pantanal wetlands, described as "the Everglades on steroids."
Tapirs are not anteaters, as some assume; rather, they are related to rhinos and horses. (Fun fact: they use their snout as a snorkel when they swim.) Scientist Patricia Medici is working to learn more, including the best way to protect them. She and her team use various methods to track and study tapirs, including box traps, radio collars, dart guns and camera traps. She is trying to solve mysteries of territory, behavior, socialization and diet, all the while becoming attached to the animals she studies. Montgomery and Bishop, embedded in the action, wake up at 4 a.m. to check traps and share the ups and downs of work in the field, where there are many unpredictable problems to deal with, from ticks and poisonous snakes to faulty equipment.
Beyond the tapir itself, this book highlights each member of Medici's team and the ranch culture of the Pantanal. It also features some of the hundreds of other species that call these wetlands home, in particular the giant anteater and the giant armadillo. Although slightly marred by a couple of sloppy layouts and one instance of a poor graph explanation, Montgomery's engaging text and Bishop's vivid, compelling nature photography make this a fascinating introduction to a little-known animal. --Angela Carstensen, school librarian and blogger