Children's Book Review: *Face to Face with Orangutans* by Tim Laman and Cheryl Knott

• Face to Face with Orangutans by Tim Laman and Cheryl Knott
• Reading level: Ages 7-11 (around grades 2-6)
• Hardcover: 32 pages
• Publisher: National Geographic Children’s Books (May 12, 2009)
• ISBN-13: 978-1426304644

Back-of-the-book blurb: That look in her eye is so human. She cradles her baby in her arms with such pride and tenderness. She interacts with family and peers in a way that suggests deep kinship, friendship, and trust. Meet the orangutan of Borneo in her natural habitat through the amazing adventures of National Geographic photographer Tim Laman and his wife, Harvard professor Cheryl Knott; and learn clearly the threats that now face this incredible primate.

She Is Too Fond of Books’ review: “It’s not easy to get face to face with a wild orangutan” begins this amazing non-fiction book about the orangutans of Borneo.  Tim Laman’s understated introduction brought my kids and me right into the jungle with him and his wife.  His engaging first person voice asks questions of the reader  (“Do you know what he did?”), very much like one might do when telling a story orally.  The text is peppered with exclamations and side comments as Tim reacts to what he learns first-hand by observing:

Then one day he [Jari Manis, the orangutan they had been tracking] spotted a treat on the ground that he couldn’t resist – a termite nest.  Orangutans love to eat termites.  He cautiously broke off chunks of nest and sucked out the termites. Yum!

This “Yum!” elicited cries of “yuck!” from my younger children as I read the book aloud to them.  This anecdote is accompanied by a large color photo of Jari Maris “holding chunks of a termite nest” as he “sucks the termites out of the hollow spaces.”  My 6- and 8-year-olds had a good natured argument about whether this was “gross” or “cool;” whether or not they agree with each other, they’ll remember this story about Jari Maris and the reason he came down from the trees, allowing Laman and Knott to observe him.

Laman tells the reader that

I wanted to use my pictures and stories to teach people about orangutans and about saving their rain forest home.

That he did!  Through color photos, sidebars, maps, and personal stories, Laman shares how he and Knott (husband and wife) studied orangutans in their natural habitat, and what they learned through these observations.

We learned why orangutans were hard to track and study, how their bodies are adapted for climbing in the forest, what they eat, and the type of social structure they have.

His discussion of their habitat includes man’s impact on the forest.  Logging and poaching are the major man-made dangers for the orangutan.  Laman lists five tips in a “How You Can Help” section toward the back of the book.  These range from the blanket solution of financial support of conservation organizations to more ‘hands-on’ attempts, such as using sustainable wood products, avoiding products that contain palm oil (often, destroyed rain forest is replaced with palm tree plantations; orangutans cannot live in the palm trees, so their homes are eradicated, despite the replanting efforts), and writing to representatives of Congress.

The “It’s Your Turn” page offers four ideas for readers to extend their learning by observing orangutans in zoos, in movies, and in commercials.  They’re encouraged to talk to others about what they’ve learned and to share the importance of protecting the habitat.  Other sections include a double-spread “Facts at a Glance,” which strips away Laman’s personal voice and experience, leaving the bare facts.  A Glossary, “Find out More” (books, articles, films, and web sites), Index, and Research & Photographic Notes round out this fun and factual presentation.  The one piece missing is a Table of Contents; the text is divided into titled sections, so it lends itself to one.

Simple sentence structure, personal narrative, and lots of wonderful photos make Face to Face with Orangutans a great fit for a home, classroom, or public library.  I believe the listed age range (7-12) is accurate, as a read-aloud for the younger end of the range.  My youngest (at 6, still a non-reader) was able to “read” the book and tell what was happening on each page after only a few read-alouds (we did not read the entire book in one sitting).

Face to Face with Orangutans is one of eighteen titles in National Geographic’s “Face to Face with Animals” series.  I plan to look for others in this series to add to our home library.