Quest for the Tree Kangaroo An Expedition To the Cloud Forest of New Guinea by Sy Montgomery Photographs by Nic Bishop

1. BIBLIOGRAPHY
Montgomery, S. (2006). Quest for the tree kangaroo: an expedition to the cloud forest of New Guinea. Boston: Houghton Mifflin. Photographs by Nic Bishop ISBN 9780618496419


2. PLOT SUMMARY
Author Sy Montgomery goes on an expedition to the cloud forest of Papua New Guinea with scientific research team leader Lisa Dabek photographer Nic Bishop and many other well known scientists. This book discusses the grueling and adventurous trip to find the mysterious Matschie (“MATCH-eez”) tree kangaroo. Well documented are the trials and tribulations associated with the capture, testing, tracking and releasing of the tree kangaroo. Flora and fauna are beautifully photographed as well as unusual and often unidentified species. Background information is intertwined in the telling of the story so you get an inner feeling for the people of the land. This is a must read for people curious about wildlife and glimpses of undiscovered territory.

3. CRITICAL ANALYSIS
Sy Montgomery uses her background knowledge as a naturalist, documentary scriptwriter, and radio commentator, to explain an accurate story of the expedition to find the elusive tree kangaroo. She follows scientists from around the world to document their journey up into the cloud forest. Montgomery tells the story with vivid details about the scenery and life of natives of Papau.

The saying “pictures tell a thousand words” is so true in this book. Nic Bishops’ ability to capture the eye of even the minutest subjects conveys more meaning than words can say. His photos are truly amazing and offer such insight into the physical surroundings that you are able to identify with the emotions of the people trudging through the clouds and see the animals as they are viewing them for the first time.
This photo essay has text interspersed with a design pleasing to the eye, inviting and easy to read. The level and complexity of the text is at a higher level and could easily be considered to be appropriate for a younger reader due to the size and amount of text. Some pages appear to be written on vellum so you can view the background of the cloud forest. Bishop’s creative style of framed photographs pops out at you and invites you to turn the pages. Montgomery adds a page of advice from Lisa Dabek to encourage students to get involved in rainforest and animal conservation efforts. She also includes pages about zoos where you can view tree kangaroos and websites to visit. An acknowledgment page to the native people that helped make their expedition a success and simple verses spoken are included. This is a highly recommended book that can be used as a springboard into all curriculum areas.


4. REVIEW EXCERPTS and Awards
Marilyn Courtot (Children's Literature) Informative and interesting, and kids who love animals or are thinking about becoming veterinarians will keep this book moving off the library shelves.

Kirkus (Kirkus Reviews, October 1, 2006 (Vol. 74, No. 19)) …Bishop's photographs, shots of the expedition members, striking close-ups of flora and fauna including the sought-for kangaroo and lush, green cloud forest scenes, are beautifully reproduced.

Eileen Wright (Library Media Connection, April 2007) The reader becomes quickly drawn into the quest, and one feels as though the narrator is sitting beside her sharing the details of the expedition.

AWARDS: Green Earth Book Award, 2007 Honor Book United States
Henry Bergh Children's Book Award, 2006 Winner Non-Fiction Environment and Ecology United States
John Burroughs List of Nature Books for Young Readers, 2006 Winner United States
Orbis Pictus Award for Outstanding Nonfiction for Children, 2007 Winner United States
Robert F. Sibert Informational Book Medal, 2007 Honor Book United States


5. CONNECTIONS
• Do an author study on Sy Montgomery and read other books written by her.
• Use other books written by or photos included by Nic Bishop and compare his style of photography and text in each of his books.
• Students can compare and contrast tree kangaroos and other marsupials.
• Art: create an actual rainforest out of paper. Leaves can be studied and made to look like the canopy. Flowers and animals can be drawn and then cut out to tape onto the different layers of the rainforest.
• Science: The layers of the rainforest can be studied. Sizes and weights of the kangaroos can be converted from metric to standard units of measurements.
• Music: Students can study the different sounds of the rainforest like birds, rain, insects, and animals. They can make rain sticks with toilet paper tubes, toothpicks and rice or beans.
• P.E.: Students can crawl like a bear, slither like a snake, hop like a kangaroo and investigate movements of different animals.
• Social Studies: Study the people and history of Papua New Guinea. Compare and contrast their customs and living conditions to ours in the U.S.
• I Wonder Why I Wonder Why Kangaroos Have Pouches by Jenny Wood ISBN: 978-0-7534-6559-2
• Kangaroos by Melissa Gish ISBN: 978-1-58341-970-0
• Pocket babies and other amazing marsupials by Sneed B. Collard III ISBN: 978-1-58196-046-4
• Marsupials by Nic Bishop ISBN: 978-0-439-87758-9