Bound To Stay Bound

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School Library Journal - 04/20/2013 Gr 7 Up—This engaging graphic novel (part story, part group biography) introduces readers to three unique women whose different personalities and lives intersected because of their love of primates. They would never have met without the guidance of Louis Leakey, an anthropologist who believed that women were better at studying animals in their native environment because they were more patient and perceptive than men. Over a period of several years, he recruited and inspired these women to study chimpanzees, mountain gorillas, and orangutans. The book jumps back and forth among the different narrators, so that each of the women and even Leakey are sharing their views about their work and about one another. In the afterword, Ottaviani explains how he and Wicks wanted to create a story rather than a textbook, and so they combined the facts with some imaginative fictionalizing. While this might not be the best resource for homework assignments, it is an enjoyable and informative read. The illustrations are lively and cartoonish, using a natural palette of browns and greens to tell the story. Overall, the graphic-novel format makes what could be a dry subject more appealing for young people. The story of how each of these women loved primates and lived among them to study their behavior is compelling, and might inspire a whole new generation of scientists to follow in their footsteps.—Andrea Lipinski, New York Public Library - Copyright 2013 Publishers Weekly, Library Journal and/or School Library Journal used with permission.

Bulletin for the Center... - 07/01/2013 Ottaviani, who celebrated the accomplishments of a host of women scientists in Two Fisted Science, offers another graphic-novel account accessible to a slightly younger audience, focused on three pioneers of primatology, all of whom launched their field studies under the patronage of paleontologist Louis Leakey. Although their individual careers are not examined in depth here, each woman’s research area and contribution are clearly conveyed: Jane Goodall’s observation of Tanzanian chimpanzee tool use redefined the meaning of “human”; Dian Fossey’s work with mountain gorillas in Rwanda segued into a fierce battle for species conservation; Biruté Galdikas crossed a human/primate barrier to study the elusive orangutan in Borneo. Moreover, Ottaviani highlights how Leakey himself was vindicated time and again for putting his faith in un-credentialed women, rightly suspecting that their patience and perspicacity would gain them access to primate communities. Distinctive narration box colors and lettering styles identify and track each woman’s story. Wicks’ characterizations of both humans and primates sport an innocence that augments the title’s approachability and also underscores the freshness of the scientists’ approaches in developing close relationships with their subjects. Readers already familiar with this dynamic trio will certainly note, and possibly decry, the omission of significant drama—particularly the debated circumstances surrounding Fossey’s violent death. Nonetheless, this is an inviting introduction that will undoubtedly lure many readers into further investigation of this groundbreaking fieldwork. EB - Copyright 2013 The Board of Trustees of the University of Illinois.

Booklist - 05/15/2013 Ottaviani’s latest, after Feynman (2011), manages to compress the fascinating stories of three groundbreaking scientists—Jane Goodall, Dian Fossey, and Biruté Galdikas—into a slim volume without skimping on their rich characters and joyful discoveries. Thanks to Wicks’ colorful, lively, Hergé-like art, each scientist (and primate) has a distinct personality, but it’s the depictions of the animals—emerging from lush, leafy backgrounds or lolling in trees—that steal the show. A chimp mugs to the viewer with a boastful, precocious grin, for instance, after Goodall observes it using a tool to forage for food. For all the playful mugging and gratifying discoveries, though, Ottaviani doesn’t shy away from the struggles of living and working in the bush. Presented as dedicated, iconoclastic, and profoundly in awe of the creatures around them, Goodall, Fossey, and Galdikas are inspiring figures, and Ottaviani does a first-rate job of dangling enough tantalizing tidbits to pique readers’ interest in the topic. The actual science is a bit light, but an author’s note strongly encourages further reading and includes resources. - Copyright 2013 Booklist.

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