In another great addition to the Scientists in the Field series, readers can discover the mysterious tapir and the people who study them. Tapirs, prehistoric tropical animals that live in Brazil, are creatures that most people have never heard of, but scientists like Pati Medici have dedicated their lives to the study and protection of tapirs. The book has fact sheets, biographies of the scientist team, and descriptions of the region that the tapirs live in.

This book is packed with gorgeous full-page photography that makes it look like a coffee table book, facts about tapirs and the environment they live in, and the story of scientists who spend their lives on an adventure to learn more about the animals. The writing and photographs take the reader out of their current location and to a new world of unique animals and the world of scientific discovery. The way the book is written helps the reader feel like they are tagging along with the scientists themselves, and all readers will come away with a better understanding of tapirs and the scientific process. ( )

A fascinating, engaging look at scientists studying the elusive snorkel-snouted critters in their habitat in Brazil’s vast Pantanal region. ( )

The lowland tapir is an animal that looks like a hippopotamus with a short elephant trunk. It is an important but not-well-understood part of the ecosystem of Brazil's Pantanal, the world's largest tropical wetlands. In this book, a group of scientists in the field use high-tech, motion-activated cameras and radio collars and low-tech tranquilizer guns and traps to learn more about the elusive and unusual tapir.

The kid loves him some Scientists In The Field. And tapirs. ( )

While I still love the Scientists in the Field series and religiously purchase and recommend them, I must admit that I've really only skimmed the last few volumes. However, this latest addition to the series brings back the team of Sy Montgomery and Nic Bishop and that was all I needed to see to know this would be a great read.

One of the things I like about this author/photographer combination is that they always do something a little different, even when writing in the confines of a series. The focus of the text is never quite what you expect, the photographs catch you unawares with their beauty and subject matter.

In this book, the authors introduce us to a team of scientists and local activities working to study tapirs and save them and their habitat. The particular focus of this group is a trip that focuses on tagging and tracking tapirs on a ranch in Brazil. While this book includes a lot of information about tapirs and the current efforts to save them, it had a more intimate feel, a focus on the scientists and everyday people involved that I feel has been missing from some of the latest Scientists in the Field titles. One of the things I really appreciate about the SitF series is that they talk not just about the important scientists, but the local people who are also involved in the project. So they profile not just the team leader and other scientists but also the field assistant, a local who had to quit school at 8th grade but uses his trapping skills learned as a child to help trap the animals, the darting specialist, who doesn't like to hunt and darts animals instead and the ranchers who own the ranch where the tapirs and many other wildlife live.

As always, Nic Bishop's photographs are marvelous. They capture not only the tapirs and the scientific expedition in all it's dirt, wonder, and exhaustion, but also the beauty of the Pantanal area. From the exquisite detail of the hairs inside a marsh deer's ears to a troop of coatis, tails held high, the wildlife and landscape is awesomely pictured.

Verdict: I'm excited all over again about distributing this to my patrons, not least because they will recognize some of the animals from our live animal program every summer, featuring Diego the coati! It's warm and human with hope and beauty - and lots of information about tapirs and their habitat. Highly recommended.

ISBN: 9780547815480; Published 2013 by Houghton Mifflin; Purchased for and borrowed from the library