 Ever wondered what it would be like to live in a zoo? With the book, I'm Lucy: A Day in the Life of a Young Bonobo, you can find out!
In this lighthearted book for young readers by Mathea Levine, with photos by Marian Brickner, you'll meet Lucy, a young bonobo who lives at the Jacksonville Zoo in Florida. You'll also get acquainted with Lucy's family, find out what there is to do for fun at the zoo and learn fun facts about these apes who have a so much in common with chimpanzees—and with humans! The book has tons of photographs of bonobos—some that will make you laugh and some that will warm your heart. And it also has an afterword by Dr. Jane. "The children—and surely many of their parents," writes Dr. Jane, "who read I'm Lucy will be fascinated by this bonobo family, fall in love with Lucy and her brother Kaleb. ... And I believe that many readers will want to help ...." Like chimpanzees, bonobos are close relatives to humans. And, like chimpanzees, they're in danger of becoming extinct. If you read I'm Lucy and decide that you want to help, here are some things you can do: - Before you take action, learn some facts about bonobos. Go to www.bonobokids.org and click "Facts" or check out the Bonobo Conservation Initiative's "Just for Kids" page.
- Once you get your copy of the book, turn to the title page to find your "secret password." Enter the password at www.bonobokids.org to meet your very own virtual bonobo friend and find out about other opportunities to help bonobos.
- Take the Bonobo Challenge by joining the Bonobo Kids blog. You can find out the latest great ape news and share your own ideas and views about conservation. If you join, you might notice a familiar name in the blog roll: Kids Save the Apes, the Roots & Shoots group in Burlington, Vermont led by Haley Stern.
- If you feel passionate about helping bonobos, consider raising money to help the cause. Find ideas for fundraisers by searching the Project Database. Then, email donate@bonobokids.org to make your donation.
- After you've worked hard to help, reward yourself by celebrating, bonobo-style. Find out what bonobos do when they're happy¿play, laugh, make funny faces? Then, do it with your Roots & Shoots group. Read stories and sing songs about bonobos.
- Have a group discussion of everything you learned about bonobos, extinction and conservation. Have one member take notes to include in your Project Report!
GOOD NEWS: A portion of the profits from I'm Lucy will go to Roots & Shoots, so get your copy today!
Cover Photo: Marian Brickner |
