Seeking the Snow Leopard

Gr 2–5—Miceler explores the Himalayas in search of the elusive snow leopard. The book begins with the last day of the expedition, when a trap is triggered by an animal, and then flashes back to the start of the journey and relays the events that led up to the opening. There are a few awkward explanations, such as the description of capturing unintended animals: "Sometimes we catch domesticated yaks, sometimes, like here, a wild blue sheep." The first-person present tense also reads stiffly from time to time, yet the story is full of action and peppered with tidbits about the region's flora and fauna. Although snow leopards are mentioned in the title, the focus is less on these big cats and more on how biologists study elusive animals in harsh ecosystems. The photographs vary in quality, but their occasional imperfections lend an authenticity to the firsthand account.