Chimpanzee Children of Gombe

by Jane Goodall, Michael Neugebauer (Illustrator)

Overview

Jane Goodall’s fans and followers will love these stories and photos of chimpanzee children living in the Gombe National Park

 

This heartwarming book is filled with photos of many of the chimpanzee babies, toddlers, and young adults that live in the Gombe National Park in Tanzania, where the Jane Goodall research center of is located. Dr. Goodall has campaigned unceasingly for the protection of the chimpanzee—now an endangered species—and this moving, personal account will educate readers about the many threats to the animals in the wild and inspire readers of all ages to join in her vital work.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9789888240838
Publisher:	Astra Publishing House
Publication date:	12/01/2014
Pages:	64
Product dimensions:	9.90(w) x 10.40(h) x 0.40(d)
Lexile:	AD800L (what's this?)
Age Range:	5 - 7 Years

About the Author

Jane Goodall is an anthropologist and UN Messenger of Peace, widely known for her studies of chimpanzees, for conservation, and for animal welfare. Michael Neugebauer is the publisher of minedition books. In 1988 he visited the Jane Goodall research center at Gombe National Park for the first time, and for more than a decade after, he spent almost every year in Africa accompanying Jane through the forest, visiting sanctuaries, and working with her on other projects.

Editorial Reviews

10/06/2014
Goodall introduces and reflects on the chimpanzees of the Gombe National Park that she has known and studied, describing the structure and dynamics of chimpanzee families and considering the ways human and chimpanzee social relationships are similar. “When my son... was small he played with the children of the Tanzanian staff,” she writes. “And when I watched them I could see how they behaved so much like the chimpanzee children I knew so well.” Absorbing photographs from publisher Neugebauer provide intimate glimpses of baby chimps playing with family members, as well as of the other animals that populate the Gombe. A lovely look at Goodall’s service to the welfare of the great apes. Ages 5–7. (Dec.)

Publishers Weekly

"Goodall introduces and reflects on the chimpanzees of the Gombe National Park that she has known and studied. . . . Absorbing photographs from publisher Neugebauer provide intimate glimpses of baby chimps playing with family members, as well as of the other animals that populate the Gombe. A lovely look at Goodall’s service to the welfare of the great apes." —Publishers Weekly


"This charmingly designed, delightful book will inspire a new generation to look for the similarities that unite us, whether among humans or between people and other species." —Dorcas Hans, School Library Journal starred review


"Neugebauer’s color photographs . . . should please chimp lovers with close-ups and action shots, and this title will put the esteemed Dr. Goodall on the radar of children just developing a serious interest in primates." —Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books

From the Publisher

★ 12/01/2014
Gr 2–5—Goodall has written other books for kids, but her latest focuses on children themselves: young chimps. Photos captured by Neugebauer over the 50 years that Goodall carried on her research offer lovely portraits of several chimp mothers and their offspring. These images, coupled with Goodall's simple, conversational text ("I think we are all getting a bit weary after our day in the forest"), follow a single day in the Gombe jungle. Goodall parallels human and chimp behavior—kissing, hugging, spending time with family—to emphasize the similarities that we share and to illustrate her point that people need to learn from the life that surrounds them. The spread pairing photos of a young chimp and a boy using the same gestures is particularly heartwarming. Readers will enjoy the images of other animals—baboons, a skink, a grass finch—found here. Back matter includes information about Goodall's Roots & Shoots program, which gives students of all ages the chance to make a difference. This charmingly designed, delightful book will inspire a new generation to look for the similarities that unite us, whether among humans or between people and other species.—Dorcas Hand, Annunciation Orthodox School, Houston, TX

School Library Journal

★ 2014-10-01
An album of photographs of young chimpanzees from the families the famed naturalist has studied over 60 years in the now-protected area of Tanzania called Gombe National Park.Goodall herself narrates this invitation to young readers to spend a day observing chimpanzee children. Her love for the area comes through in her presentation. She explains that her imagined day includes photos taken over many years and features several different chimp families. She makes a point of showing similarities between their behavior and our own—mothers carrying, feeding and nurturing their babies, children exploring and playing. One spread shows young Tanzanian children and chimps in similar poses—sucking a finger, laughing, eating. Along the way, the naturalist includes facts about chimp daily life and introduces other animals in the park, including baboons and red colobus monkeys. Neugebauer's photographs (taken over many years of visits) are striking and beautifully reproduced. Many are close-ups, showing recognizable individuals. Some pictures may surprise: One chimp shakes a dry gourd like a rattle; another holds hands with a baboon. Others entertain. One spread shows Goodall herself, perhaps thinking about her own mother or perhaps just watching a chimp mother cuddling her baby. Both have the same warm smile. An irresistible replacement for the collaborators' The Chimpanzee Family Book (1989), now out of print. (Informational picture book. 5-10)

Kirkus Reviews