Snow Leopard: Ghost of the Mountains

Nature Storybooks

by Justin Anderson, Patrick Benson (Illustrator)

Look! A line of paw prints in the snow. Follow the tracks to see the rare and utterly majestic snow leopard and visit her secret world.

The people who live among the high peaks of the Himalayas tell stories of a mysterious animal called the gray ghost. To see one, you’d have to be very lucky indeed. Join a zoologist in the Himalayan mountains as he searches for the elusive creature. With her pale gold and silver-gray coat painted with black rosettes, she blends so well into the boulders, it’s no wonder she’s thought of as a ghost of the mountains. But the fortunate few who spot her are rewarded with a sight they will never forget. Written by an expert with firsthand experience, beautifully illustrated, and interwoven with fascinating facts, this vicarious look at a breathtaking animal includes an end note suggesting resources to explore.

Genres: Picture Books, Nonfiction, Animals, Childrens, Nature, Cats, Environment

32 pages, Hardcover

Published October 8, 2019

About the author

Justin Anderson is a zoologist and filmmaker with a passion for animals and wild places. He spent months in Ladakh leading a BBC crew filming snow leopards for Planet Earth II. Snow Leopard: Ghost of the Mountains is his picture book debut. Justin Anderson lives in England.

Reviews

[Michael Fitzgerald · Rating 3 out of 5]

I liked the pictures. The text comes from a strong conservationist/activist perspective, setting up the leopard as the victim and portraying humans and climate change as the enemies. I disliked having two sets of text on each page (using different fonts, one of which seems to be the anathema Comic Sans) - this in addition to a one page "More About Snow Leopards" at the end. There's also an index, which is kind of laughable, since it covers only pages between 10 and 24 (and not every page in that range has text). Are we really saying that readers can't flip through those 7 leaves to find something?

[Vera Godley · Rating 5 out of 5]

The illustrations beautifully capture the soft starkness of the mountain ranges covered in snow as the Snow Leopard roams and preys blending so thoroughly that he is considered a "ghost."

The Snow Leopard's story of life in the Himalayas is beautifully told with gentle respect for this large cat who has strength, agility, thick-warm fur, and cunning abilities that enable it to live at heights of 18,000' conserving its energy.

The salient facts tucked away as asides separate from the storyline are so interesting. It would be such a treat to be able to see (and touch, but impossible, of course) one of these fantastic creatures.

I highly recommend this book for libraries everywhere.

DISCLOSURE: I received a complimentary copy from Candlewick Press to facilitate a review. Opinions are mine, alone and are freely given.

[Peacegal · Rating 4 out of 5]

Delightful and educational look at these amazing and mysterious cats in their natural habitat.

[J.L. Slipak · Rating 5 out of 5]

MY THOUGHTS:

I received this book in exchange for my honest review.

First, what a beautiful cover. The artwork is stunning! I'm very partial to water colours being used as a medium for illustrations. The hues are soft and warm and in most cases compliment beautiful heart-felt stories.

This story is about a remarkable creature, a snow leopard, that lives in the Himalayans. The story is told through the eyes of an explorer, in first-person narrative. As the adventure begins, tracks are seen and from there the search is on for the evasive snow leopard. Snippets of information are offered in separate areas about the snow leopards. This makes this picture book informative and even educational.

As the adventure continues, the snow leopard is sighted and that's when you begin to learn even more about what the explorer and guide see. Even I discovered a lot about the snow leopard, for example: the snow leopard has the longest tail than any other cat and uses it for many purposes.
You discover that this particular snow leopard is a mom and details unfold regarding her cub. There's plenty to discover within the pages of this book, but I'll save those details for readers to explore.

Gorgeous illustrations and lots of information will keep advanced early readers and those being read to enthralled and engrossed as the story progresses. There's a surprise of extras at the back of the book too.

[Tina · Rating 3 out of 5]

Beautifully illustrated and a good level of interest for primary aged children.

[Heidi · Rating 5 out of 5]

Snow leopards are magnificent animals. As this book so clearly demonstrates. The author takes the reader on a journey into the Himalayas in pursuit of this highly secretive animal. Based on his own experiences following snow leopards, he tells of a scientist in search of a chance to see this rare mammal. In addition to telling the story of the scientist, he includes facts about the cats on most spreads. The illustrations are gorgeous and highlight the beauty of this endangered cat wonderfully. If you couldn't tell, I really enjoyed this book about one of the earth's most majestic species. If you love cats the way I do, this is a title not to be missed.

[Abigail · Rating 4 out of 5]

Zoologist and documentary filmmaker Justin Anderson, who worked on the television series Planet Earth II, made his authorial debut in this lovely picture book from 2019, exploring the high altitude world of the snow leopard. The main text here describes the appearance and actions of a snow leopard (and eventually, her cub) that the narrator watches on a hike high in the Himalayans, while factual side notes giving more information about the species. The book closes with a brief note from the author and an index...

Although his first picture book, Snow Leopard: Ghost of the Mountains is the second of Anderson's titles I have read, following upon his subsequent Narwhal: The Arctic Unicorn , which introduced me to his work. After enjoying that other title, I sought this one out, and was not disappointed. I have to disagree with some other online reviews I have read of this one, in that I do not think it is overwhelmed by a notable activist tone or conservationist bias. On the contrary, other than the afterword, which sets out the challenges faced by snow leopards due to human encroachment on their habitat and climate change—simple facts, as it happens—the main body of the text here is entirely descriptive of the snow leopard's own actions, her beauty, and the beauty of the world around her. The factual asides on each two-page spread also don't touch on conservation themes. Leaving that aside, I found this one both informative and beautiful and greatly appreciated illustrator Patrick Benson's gorgeous watercolor illustrations. Snow leopards are breathtakingly beautiful, and he does them justice! I would recommend this one to young animal lovers, and to anyone seeking factual picture books about these elusive and wonderful cats. It would pair very nicely with Jackie Morris' folklore-inspired original tale about these creatures, The Snow Leopard .

[Katie Fitzgerald · Rating 3 out of 5]

I am always looking for more nature picture books in the style of Jim Arnosky, and at first glance, it seemed like this might be just such a book. With illustrations by Patrick Benson (who did the pictures for one of our all-time favorites, Owl Babies), this book does a nice job of introducing readers to the habitat and behavior of snow leopards. Unfortunately, detracting from the otherwise straightforward narrative are asides on every page in a difficult-to-decipher font that provide facts and statistics and the heavily activism-based author's note at the end of the book. For the preschool and elementary level picture book audience, I would have preferred less additional commentary and more of an emphasis on just appreciating leopards for their beauty and mystery. (Also, as a matter of personal preference, I really could have done without the references to leopard pee. My kids never ask how animals relieve themselves - I think it's a myth that kids need authors to mention bodily functions in order to keep their attention.) For elementary libraries where projects about endangered animals are common, this might be a great addition; for our home library, it's not quite what we're looking for.

This review also appears on Instagram.

[Mary Judy · Rating 4 out of 5]

In this new Nature Storybook, Justin Anderson brings the tale of his journey to find and see the Snow Leopard in her native land. He reveals fascinating insights into the life of these astounding creatures and the harsh, forbidding landscape; how they survive; how they care for their young. It is a fascinating, adventurous and moving story. Illustrated with the spectacular work of Patrick Benson, this world and seldom seen animal is imprinted in the imagination and heart of all. The pictures capture the subtlety of the landscape, the quiet illusive nature of the Snow Leopard as well as the atmosphere, excitement and awe of the book perfectly. Filled with facts throughout, there is a page at the end dedicated to efforts to conserve and protect these animals and why. Eloquently written, there is such beauty related in both the words and pictures that you will be haunted by the extraordinary wonder of the "Grey Ghost."

[Melissa · Rating 4 out of 5]

3 1/2 stars. Informational picture book. An imagined journey to see the elusive cat. A lucky, fictional, narrator sees not only a mature snow leopard, but has a front row seat to see it mark its territory, meet up with its cub, nap and yowl. Large font narrative descriptive text is interspersed with facts. Additional facts appear in smaller, hand-written style type at the bottom of the page. Realistic painterly illustrations in buff, tan and pale blue establish a quiet and austere backdrop for a majestic animal. Back matter includes additional context, an index, and two online conservation resources.

I don't love the improbable framing. No one is getting that lucky. I found it distracting and felt it sets young nature lovers up for a lifetime of disappointment. If you get a glimpse of a grizzly, or a lynx or a wolf, it is a big deal. To set the expectation that wild animals will perform multiple natural behaviors in front of an audience seems unnecessary.

[Erin · Rating 5 out of 5]

This story is told through the eyes of an explorer searching to find the snow leopard. Fun facts are presented through this picture book such as this cat has the longest tale in the cat family and that the cubs are still with their mothers after 2 years learning how to hunt. Various other facts that correlate with the story are included in the story. These facts are written in different fonts. This reminded me of an explore writing in their journal although I am not sure that was the intention. The watercolor illustrations are stunning. The muted and misty illustrations play well with the snow leopard as the gray ghost.

The book contains "more about snow leopards" in the back of the book. This section talks about the human population threat to snow leopards and conservation efforts. Websites are also given for further exploration.
Audience: Advanced early reader

[Linda · Rating 4 out of 5]

A non-fiction picture book that's a stand-out, helping young readers learn about this elusive snow leopard. Justin Anderson takes readers on a trip to the Himalayans to find it and does. We learn its habits, why it's hard to find in the wild, how a cub is cared for, and a brief mention of how climate change is making it harder and harder to find. Gorgeous watercolors by Patrick Benson make the snow leopard center stage as much as possible, though the eyes and story by the observer. Beautiful book!

[Jana · Rating 4 out of 5]

This fascinating nonfiction picture book takes young readers on a trip to the Himalayas along with a zoologist who is tracking the elusive snow leopard. Easy to understand narrative text along with gorgeous watercolor illustrations make this a terrific resource to have on the bookshelf. The end note includes a note about conservation efforts and resources for further research.

[Maryann Skaritka · Rating 4 out of 5]

An explorer and guide adventure into the Himalayan mountains to try and find a elusive snow leopard.

This book is beautifully illustrated and shows how the snow leopard blends in with it’s environment.

Readers will learn about the snow leopards habitat and territory, hunting for prey habits,
the usefulness of their tails and fur as well as how they leave messages for other snow leopards.

Animal lovers will enjoy joining the adventure and increasing their knowledge of this majestic animal.

[Julia · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book did well even with an older child who thought he was too old for it. Lots of good interesting facts and leaves you feeling okay about the world even though it was talking about an endangered animal.

[Bethe · Rating 3 out of 5]

Bookaday #31. Easy to read illustrated NF about snow leopards, larger text tells of author’s first snow leopard sighting, smaller text has facts. Back matter is slight. Young readers can start with this one first, then graduate to books by Hatkoff and Montgomery, or even fiction by Roland Smith.

[Edward Sullivan · Rating 4 out of 5]

A beautifully illustrated, informative introdcution to the elusive big cat inhabitaing the Himalayas.

[Heidi · Rating 5 out of 5]

Beautifully told story about the Himalayan Snow Leopards. Gorgeous art work enhances the story.

[Heidi Doyle · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a beautifully illustrated book with just enough facts to peak the interest of young learners without being too overwhelming.

[Kelly · Rating 3 out of 5]

Very interesting book. Children will surely love this story.

[Patti · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fascinating look at the elusive snow leopard. Recommended for 3-5 grade.

[Rebecca Caufman · Rating 3 out of 5]

Story of a hiker off to find a snow leopard and what happens during the observation. Insteresting true facts sprinkled throughout.

[Sharon McCague · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wonderful informative story for the preschool crowd.

[Annie Waldrop · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great story and pictures about snow leopards and their habitat

[Gabs · Rating 5 out of 5]

Really good book

[Hanlin Z · Rating 5 out of 5]

I give this book a 5, because I love Snow leopards. They live in the himalayan mountains. They take care of their babies.

[Jbondandrews · Rating 4 out of 5]

A lovely book about Snow Leopards.

[Claudia · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a gorgeous picture book! The snow leopard illustrations are magnificent. This would be a great book for a storytime group.

[Nora Nickum · Rating 5 out of 5]

Perfect balance of mystery, beauty, and facts. The text is just right - concise yet rich. Snow leopards are amazing animals and this book conveys that wonderfully.

[Alice (Children's Books Librarian) · Rating 4 out of 5]

The joys of following a snow leopard and her cub in their natural environment with facts on each page, printed in a different font from the story.