Panther Dreams: A Story of the African Rainforest - Hardcover

Weir, Wendy

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 1562820761 ISBN 13: 9781562820763

Publisher: Little, Brown Books for Young Readers, 1991

Synopsis

While hunting for food in the rain forest for his starving village, a young boy encounters a panther that teaches him how to conserve life in the rain forest. Includes audiocassette.

About this title

From School Library Journal:

Kindergarten-Grade 5-- Lokuli, a young African boy, overhears his father express concern about their village's dwindling food supply. Lokuli enters the forbidden territory of the rainforest, observing numerous animals before he encounters a panther. They engage in a telepathic conversation, and the panther leads him to fresh meat. When his father sees the food the disobedient Lokuli has brought, his anger is forgotten. This product's proceeds will fund African rainforest reforestation projects. But worthiness does not equal excellence and this package by the Grateful Dead guitarist and his sister misses the mark on several counts. The detailed, realistic paintings are often static, even when depicting animals in motion. Many of the butterflies and birds are drawn too large, detracting from the accuracy of the facts worked into the story and lessening the usefulness of the key to the names of creatures. The contrived plot leads to an obvious conclusion, and the story, which shows initial promise in the descriptions of intriguing sights and sounds of the forest, meanders slowly. Even the narration on the accompanying tape does little to move things on; however, the second side, featuring an imaginative composition produced and performed by Weir, is lively and engaging. A mixed effort which, with the increased interest in all things environmental, may still hold interest for some children. --Ellen Fader, Westport Public Library, CT
Copyright 1992 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Kirkus Reviews:

An earnest fictionalized plea and fund-raiser for the rain forest. Lokuli, overhearing his worried father say that ``the Pygmies have no meat to trade,'' decides to revive a tribal custom described by his grandmother: he'll provide food by hunting in the forest that, for some unexplained reason, is now forbidden. Most of the book describes the animals he sees along the way, lovingly illustrated in a realistic style. He has a somewhat mystical encounter with a black panther, who leaves him the carcass of a duiker to carry home, earning his father's thanks instead of anger at his disobedience. Since Lokuli repeatedly stops to observe, the story seems overlong and the situation unmotivated and contrived. Still, the book serves as an attractive album of wildlife, identified in a concluding key to the illustrations. A tape included with the trade edition is narrated by Grateful Dead singer/guitarist Bob Weir; it also features a charming musical piece composed of jungle sounds combined with instruments. Glossary. (Picture book. 4-10) -- Copyright ©1991, Kirkus Associates, LP. All rights reserved.

About this edition

• Publisher: Little, Brown Books for Young Readers
• Publication date: 1991
• ISBN 10: 1562820761
• ISBN 13: 9781562820763
• Binding: Hardcover
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 40
• Illustrator: Weir Wendy