Sy Montgomery, with photographs by Nic Bishop and illustrations by Robin Wingrave
Quest for the Tree Kangaroo: An Expedition to the Cloud Forest of New Guinea
Houghton Mifflin, 2006

Ages 10-14

Matschie's tree kangaroo, the star of Sy Montgomery's excellent book for young people, is one of the rarest mammals on Earth.  It might also be one of the most charming, with soft ginger fur, pink nose, white belly, and a cherubic face. Nic Bishop's gorgeous photographs of the charismatic kangaroos and other unique animals of the Papua New Guinea cloud forest will immediately draw young readers in—and once they start reading, they will be excited and inspired by Montgomery's science adventure story.

Montgomery's Quest follows the footsteps of a field scientist, Lisa Dabek, who has made studying the kangaroos her life's work.  Dabek assembles a team of field scientists and veterinarians, plus Montgomery, Bishop, and nature illustrator Robin Wingrave, and the group sets out for the tiny village of Yawan, Papua New Guinea, as close as they can get to the elusive kangaroos' habitat.

Dabek is quick to explain the importance of working with the local people to protect the endangered kangaroos.  "The people of Yawan, along with their neighbors in nearby villages, are our partners in conservation. 'Without them,' explains Lisa, '...Nothing we are doing would work at all."  Besides giving up some of their own land to protect crucial tree kangaroo habitat, native people from Yawan are also the researchers' porters and guides in the mountains where the kangaroos live.

Leaving the village behind, the team takes a long, steep, and muddy trek into the cloud forest, but they finally reach their research base.  Montgomery humorously describes many of the hardships of doing field research—cold showers in icy mountain streams, dampness and rain, mud and leeches.  But all the hiking, hard work, and discomforts they endure turn into raw excitement when trackers find first a solitary male, then a mated pair of tree kangaroos, then a mother and son.  With some effort, the team safely captures the animals but keeps them only long enough for the veterinarians to examine them and fit them with radio-collars.

Sy Montgomery's Quest for the Tree Kangaroo is part of a series of books published by Houghton Mifflin called "Scientists in the Field," which aims to make science "more accessible, relevant, and exciting to young readers."  Quest succeeds admirably in fulfilling this goal.  Montgomery has also written two other books for the series, The Snake Scientist and The Tarantula Scientist. Houghton Mifflin recommends this book for readers ages 10-14, and Montgomery knows just how to write for this age group.  She doesn't "dumb-down" her text in any sense, but uses metaphors and language kids can relate to and includes just enough basic information.  Even younger readers will undoubtedly enjoy the photographs, and adults will enjoy and learn something from this book too.  Quest for the Tree Kangaroo is a terrific book that will entertain, inspire, and enlighten readers of all ages.

Jeannine Stronach
March 2007