Starred Review ALA Booklist (Wed May 01 00:00:00 CDT 2019)

Starred Review It's possible that wildebeest won't initially grab readers' attentions, but it's worth encouraging them to take a chance on these African ungulates, because Montgomery quickly proves that they're as exciting as they come. While similar to her volumes in the Scientists in the Field series, this stand-alone title has a far more personal tone, as Montgomery narrates her experiences with wildebeest expert Dr. Richard Estes and their safari team as they track the massive, year-round migration of these animals. Montgomery impressively conveys the large-scale importance of wildebeest's Serengeti circuit by focusing on the details observed (and smelled) on her journey. It's a trip punctuated by vampiric flies, car trouble, laughter, tragedy, and wonder l while in pursuit of a somehow elusive, million-strong herd. Wildebeest, also called gnus, are a keystone species whose pursuit of Africa's rains keeps its grassland ecosystem healthy, but human expansion and poaching are taking a toll on this, to use Montgomery's term, symphonic migration. She makes connections to other awesome animal migrants (loggerhead sea turtles, zooplankton, monarch butterflies, etc.) and zooms in on other animals her team encounters on their travels, providing a larger context for the wildebeest's migration and a clear depiction of nature's interconnectedness. Montgomery's and Dr. Estes' passion for these astonishing animals makes this illuminating, information-rich account an adventure that may just inspire a gnu generation of ecological heroes.

Starred Review for Kirkus Reviews

Montgomery journeys into the heart of the wildebeest migration with a wildlife biologist who has been studying these African mammals for more than 50 years.Eleven chapters and a reflective epilogue chronicle a two-week visit to Tanzania's northern plains with a small group led by Richard Estes, "the guru of gnu." Montgomery, who has described many remarkable scientific field trips for the Scientists in the Field series, aims this report at older readers who can take in and act on her underlying message: "Throughout the Serengeti, our kind threatens the very survival of the migration we've come so far to witness." Tension heightens as the wildebeest hordes elude them for days. Finally, a dramatic car breakdown in the wilderness is followed by "immersion" in an ocean of migrating gnus—a climax that would be unbelievable in fiction. Setting this particular safari in a larger context, and heightening the suspense, are interspersed short segments about Serengeti wildlife, poachers' snares, the role of fire, "other magnificent migrants," and more. The overall design is inviting and appropriate to the subject. There are maps, plentiful photos of African animals, and pictures and minibiographies of Montgomery's all-white safari companions, both American and Tanzanian. Montgomery touches on the white-directed nature of much scientific research in Africa as well as pressures from colonialism and climate change but keeps her focus tightly on the wildebeest.A splendid wildlife adventure skillfully conveyed. (acknowledgments, selected bibliography, note on wildebeest conservation and tourism, photo credits, index) (Nonfiction. 11-adult)

Kirkus Reviews (Fri Oct 04 00:00:00 CDT 2024)

Montgomery journeys into the heart of the wildebeest migration with a wildlife biologist who has been studying these African mammals for more than 50 years.Eleven chapters and a reflective epilogue chronicle a two-week visit to Tanzania's northern plains with a small group led by Richard Estes, "the guru of gnu." Montgomery, who has described many remarkable scientific field trips for the Scientists in the Field series, aims this report at older readers who can take in and act on her underlying message: "Throughout the Serengeti, our kind threatens the very survival of the migration we've come so far to witness." Tension heightens as the wildebeest hordes elude them for days. Finally, a dramatic car breakdown in the wilderness is followed by "immersion" in an ocean of migrating gnus—a climax that would be unbelievable in fiction. Setting this particular safari in a larger context, and heightening the suspense, are interspersed short segments about Serengeti wildlife, poachers' snares, the role of fire, "other magnificent migrants," and more. The overall design is inviting and appropriate to the subject. There are maps, plentiful photos of African animals, and pictures and minibiographies of Montgomery's all-white safari companions, both American and Tanzanian. Montgomery touches on the white-directed nature of much scientific research in Africa as well as pressures from colonialism and climate change but keeps her focus tightly on the wildebeest.A splendid wildlife adventure skillfully conveyed. (acknowledgments, selected bibliography, note on wildebeest conservation and tourism, photo credits, index) (Nonfiction. 11-adult)