Quest for the Tree Kangaroo: An expedition to the cloud forest of New Guinea.

Montgomery, Sy.  2006.  Quest for the Tree Kangaroo: An expedition to the cloud forest of New Guinea.   Ill. by Nic Bishop.  Boston: Houghton Mifflin Company.  ISBN  054724892X

The book is a spectacular account of an expedition in New Guinea to preserve the Tree Kangaroo population.  The author along with scientists, biologists, conservationist, photographer, and indigenous people, trek tirelessly through the rain forest of New Guinea.   Montgomery used beautiful color photographs to give readers an insight to a remote region , only inhabited by local people.  The layout is similar to a diary or journal, as it, gives specific details of the journey.  The author's dedication in writing about the Tree Kangaroo is remarkably admirable because the journey required physical strength in order to reach the desired  location.  Interestingly, the author exposes readers to the native language of the region, along with web resources to located information on the Tree Kangaroo.  Each page is filled with factual information and introduces a diverse species of animals and plants along the journey. Photographs of indigenous people are showcased throughout the book to show a representation of the community. 

Excerpts

From Horn Book Magazine

Ford, Danielle J. 2007. "Quest for the Tree Kangaroo: An Expedition to the Cloud Forest of New Guinea." Horn Book Magazine 83(1): 85.

"The brilliant colors and sharp focus capture a host of rainforest plants and animals up close, including the adorably fuzzy tree kangaroos.”

 

From Booklist

Engberg, Gillian. 2006. "Quest for the Tree Kangaroo: An Expedition to the Cloud Forest of New Guinea." Booklist 103(7): 58.

"Still, Montgomery gives an unusually strong, visceral sense of the work and cooperation fieldwork entails and the scope and uniqueness of this particular mission."

 

From School Library Journal

Piehl, Kathy1. 2006. "Quest for the Tree Kangaroo: An Expedition to the Cloud Forest of New Guinea." School Library Journal 52(12): 166.

"Stunning close-ups of plants, insects, and birds vie for attention with panoramas of moss-draped trees in the eerie, ancient forest."

From Kirkus Reviews

2006. "QUEST FOR THE TREE KANGAROO: An Expedition to the Cloud Forest of New Guinea." Kirkus Reviews 74(19): 1020.

"The writer and photographer of this exemplary description of science field work accompanied researcher Lisa Dabek on an expedition high in New Guinea's mountains to study tree kangaroos and promote the conservation of this elusive and endangered species."

Awards

Robert F. Sibert Informational Book Award

Booklist Editor's Choice 2006

School Library Journal Best Books of the Year

Connections

other Sy Montgomery books

Chasing Cheetahs: The race to save Africa's fastest cat ISBN 0547815492

The Tarantula Scientist ISBN 061891577X

The Tapir Scientist: Saving South America's largest mammal ISBN 0547815484

Activities for children

Children can research the tree kangaroo and find interesting facts.

Children can look at the book and identify other animals.

Children can draw their favorite animal.

Personal Response

I believe the book is an educational experience that teaches children about science.  It exposes  children to different cultures and places.  Along with the scientific aspect of the book, children can learn about scientific exploration and conservation issues.  I would recommend the book because it is a real account of research science.