Untamed: The Wild Life of Jane Goodall by Anita Silvey (review)
Buy Issue for $25 at JHUP- Untamed: The Wild Life of Jane Goodall by Anita Silvey
Library ed. ISBN 978-1-4263-1519-0 $28.90
Trade ed. ISBN 978-1-4263-1518-3 $18.99
Reviewed from galleys R Gr. 4-7
Middle graders who were introduced to scientist Jane Goodall way back in their primary years through picture books by Jeannette Winter (The Watcher, BCCB 4/11) or Patrick McDonnell (Me …Jane, BCCB 4/11) may now be ready for a more in-depth look at the woman whose observations radically changed the way humans view their chimpanzee kin. Silvey offers an enthusiastic overview, exploring [End Page 54] Goodall’s animal-crazy childhood; the lucky break that brought her to Africa and the attention of Louis Leakey; her groundbreaking approach to observing chimpanzee behavior; her career shift into advocacy for the welfare of animals in the wild and in science labs; and changes in methodology since Goodall’s career began. Although rich in details of Goodall’s experiences in her early years and their translation into her professional work, this title is thinner on the particulars of her personal adult life, with friends and family given brief mentions throughout the text and end matter. An abundance of color illustrations does much to redress this shortcoming, though, and kids who are more interested in the chimps than in their observer will revel in the intimate, informal snapshots and the “Gombe Family Scrapbook” of many of Goodall’s subjects. A closing chapter on Goodall’s legacy (possibly a bit premature since she’s still working at eighty) highlights the organizations she founded; back matter comprises maps, source notes, reading lists, an index, and chimpanzee facts.
