Wonderful non-fiction for ages 5-10. Great details, beautiful photography (not surprising as author is a professional wildlife photographer), compelling story. Besides the pictures of the adorable serval Moto, my favorite part was how the author made a pouch in her shirt so she could carry Moto around and have her hands free to take pictures. ( )

Suzi Eszterhas is a wildlife photographer on the Masai Mara Preserve in Kenya. Suzi is asked if she would like to foster an serval kitten that was brought in by a tourist group after a fire. Suzi readily accepts and takes on the additional role of wildlife rehabilitator to Moto, the serval. As Moto's adopted mother, Suzi must learn how to care for Moto and teach him how to be a serval in the wild, just like Moto's real mom would have done so he can go back to the wild once more.

Moto and me is a fun and informative inside look at wildlife rehabilitation and the life of a serval. This nonfiction book is aimed at children aged 5-10. The pictures were all very cute and obviously amazing, taken by Suzi herself. They documented Moto's life with her from kittenhood to an adult cat and give readers a chance to see Moto learning how to be a Serval as well as techniques that Suzi used in Moto's rehabilitation. Along with this are great lessons about African animals, life cycles and the importance of leaving wildlife in the wild.

This book was received for free in return for an honest review. ( )

Moto, is a wildcat, a Serval, from Kenya. When he is found at approximately 2 weeks old by tourists, he is given to the author Suzi Eszterhas, a wildlife photographer. She is asked by the Rangers to foster the kitten. Her goal is to look after him, but to assist him to become independent so he can survive in the wild. There are beautiful photographs that add to the narrative of what Suzi does to help Moto learn to be an independent adult. There is a section at the back that gives facts about servals. I had never heard of this type of cat before, so found the information fascinating. It is important that the book teaches that fostering a wild animal is not the same as having a pet. That is something that children need to learn. This book would be a great addition to a school library and could be used in different ways. The publisher generously provided me a copy of this book via netgalley. ( )

*Thanks to Netgalley for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review*

This is one of the best animal books I've read in a long time. It's a wonderful story about a serval (Moto) in the wild, who needs help. Beautifully written and full of photos, this is a perfect read for elementary children. I loved it and would recommend it to anyone! ( )

Suzi Eszterhas, photographer and author of several books for kids featuring wildlife, tells the story of caring for an orphaned wildcat while she worked as a photographer.

Moto, a tiny serval kitten, is given to Eszterhas to raise as she goes about her daily business of photography. She talks about her life as an animal photographer, how Moto came to be abandoned, and how she cared for him and helped me grow and become independent.

The book is a mixture of factual explanations of a serval's life and some of the other animals in the area combined with anecdotes of Moto's life both funny and educational. Eventually, Moto learns to hunt and takes off into the savannah; he's later glimpsed living successfully on his own by park rangers.

The book ends with a collection of facts about servals, including a warning against purchasing exotic pets or mixed breeds like Savanna cats.

The book is longer than a picture book, although that's its format. And, of course, it's absolutely full of gorgeous photographs of Moto growing from a delightfully fluffy kitten to a graceful, sleek serval.

Verdict: A great title for beginning chapter and intermediate readers or to share with a classroom. Kids will love the friendly, simple text and all the adorable photographs. There are even a few gentle reminders about not interfering with wildlife along the way. Recommended.

ISBN: 9781771472425; Published 2017 by Owlkids; Borrowed from another library in my consortium