Orangutan Orphanage

Gr 2–5—Animal lovers will welcome this overview of the work being done by Orangutan Foundation International's Orangutan Care Center and Quarantine in Borneo. Author and photographer Eszterhas satisfyingly documents this facility's efforts to care for and return rescued orphan orangutans to a safe natural environment. Specially trained volunteers (mostly comprised of women) from the neighboring village of Pasir Panjang tend to the young apes, nurturing the animals until they are ready to live on their own. As Eszterhas documents this special bonding process, readers will learn about the orangutan's diet, behaviors, and characteristics. Material is organized into short, readable sections identified with helpful headings. Eszterhas attributes emotions to the creatures; for example, "When the babies arrive, they are frightened and sad, and they miss their mothers so much that they cry at night." Excellent, crisp, and well-composed full-color photographs fill the work and are the highlight of this book. Varying in size, the images capture the personalities of the orangutans, showcase the animals' behaviors, and illustrate how their human keepers interact with the animals. There are many wonderful close-ups, such as a baby orangutan sitting on a scale with a stuffed toy and another of a young orangutan at bath time. Not all pictures are captioned. Back matter includes a section where Eszterhas answers common questions.