Suzi Eszterhas traveled to Africa to photograph cheetahs in the wild and she takes us right there with her through those vivid images. Just open the front cover and take a look at the cheetah fur that leaps out at you. It looks as though you could reach out and stroke those black dots. The book follows a mother cheetah as she gives birth to her cubs, nurses them for months and guards and teaches them as they grow bigger and eventually grow into adulthood.
As you turn the pages to see moments in the lives of the cheetah family, you can't help but wonder, "How did she get those pictures?" There is a wonderfully warm picture of Mama Cheetah giving her rain-soaked children a good tongue licking to clean them up. She's as wet as they are. Then, there's the picture of Mama in full stride chasing a gazelle. You can feel the speed and the power as she kicks up dust and gathers her feet together to spring forward. Great photographs are the real treasure here. The narrative is simple and seems directed toward fives and sixes. Ages 5-8
