Snow Leopard: Ghost of the Mountains

Praise

Benson’s endearing watercolor illustrations capture the leopard’s furry, pale, gold-and-gray coat, with the black rosettes that offer excellent camouflage in her mountainous habitat. (They depict the author as white as he moves through the Ladakh village with his local guide.) The narrator marvels at his luck to see two snow leopards; readers will feel fortunate to have followed along. An informative, gentle, awestruck look at a mysterious big cat.
—Kirkus Reviews

With strong portrayals of the leopards within their impressive surroundings, Benson’s watercolor illustrations capture the animals’ dignity as well as their mystery. A handsome picture book for young animal-lovers.
—Booklist

Anderson, a zoologist and filmmaker, frames a captivating and effective introduction to snow leopards as an adventurer’s firsthand observations of the elusive animal in its Himalayan habitat. Benson’s detailed, precise watercolors—stone-hued, like their subject and its habitat and prey—are complemented by well-chosen words.
—Publishers Weekly

Large snow leopard tracks on the endpapers lead readers to join the narrator on a Himalayan trek in hopes of spotting this elusive animal of the mountains…A stunning closing double-page spread depicts the snow leopard on a craggy bluff with a golden sunset behind her. Appended with an author’s note discussing conservation efforts for this threatened species and its reduced habitat; an index; and two sources for further inquiry.
—The Horn Book

Benson’s soft watercolors and Anderson’s clear prose reveal the “Ghosts of the Mountains,” named because of their elusiveness. The chronicle of the trek is interspersed with facts on snow leopard habitat, behavior, physical features, and diet…This quick introduction covers the challenges the snow leopard faces and its conservation status.
—School Library Journal