Book Talk: Leo the Snow Leopard

A new book from Turtle Pond Publications, which brought us such beautiful stories of animal rescue as: Owen and Mzee, Knut, Miza, and Winter's Tail (which has been made into a movie in case you hadn't heard!) comes Leo the Snow Leopard. What first struck me was that Leo was found in the Karakoram mountain range in northern Pakistan. Sound familiar? Have you read "Three Cups of Tea?". I have. And the location itself instantly hooked me. I was already familiar with the harsh conditions and imagining a goat herder taking the time to observe that a baby snow leopard was indeed orphaned and without a mother was touching from the beginning. Hearing of the transfer teams run in with a land slide and the need for bridges to be built to aid their travel reminded me of Greg Mortenson's ordeal as well. Reading about Shelby, a potential mate for Leo at the Bronx Zoo, teaching him "how" to be a snow leopard made me think of Nala in the movie The Lion King, reconnecting with Simba after he had been away from the pride for so long. This nonfiction tale is both informative and heartwarming. I would recommend this and other Turtle Pond books as well.