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27th out of 63 books
—
10 voters
The Chiru of High Tibet: A True Story
The true gripping story of how scientist George Schaller and four mountain men set out to save the chiru (antelope-like creatures who cannot survive captivity and who live on the high plains of Tibet) from near extinction.
Hardcover, 40 pages
Published
September 27th 2010
by Houghton Mifflin Books for Children
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An appealing and interesting account of the attempts, failures, and final success in establishing government protection for the fragile chiru of Tibet, a small animal coveted for its incredibly fine hair. The chiru can't survive without its hair, because of the extreme climate in which it lives, and no chiru has yet survived in captivity. Its mysterious and distant breeding grounds were long sought by a German man in order to protect it, but the remote, virtual inaccessibility of this place defi...more
The chiru are a small antelope like species who live on the plains of the Chang Tang in northern Tibet. Sought out for their wool (shahtoosh, the warmest of wools), the chiru have been hunted and poached to a dangerous degree. The animals can't be shorn, like sheep, because it is simply too cold, and chiru haven't successfully been raised in captivity. George Schaller learned of their plight and tried to track them to the birthing grounds several times. Four trekkers eventually managed to find t...more
Gorgeous illustrations highlight this true story about attempts to protect the Chiru, an animal highly desired for it's luxurious wool, but who, unfortunately, has to be killed in order to get it. We'd never even heard of this animal before, so this story was an educational experience for all of us. The story was engaging and suspenseful, and did I say that the illustrations were amazing (especially in the first pages)? We also enjoyed the photographs of the actual expedition that were at the en...more
Beautifully illustrated true story about efforts to discover the breeding grounds of a cute little animal called a chiru that lives in the mountains of Tibet. The chiru were being hunted and killed for their soft wool (shahtoosh) and for their long black horns, which were said to have medicinal powers. A man named George B. Schaller felt that if the secret breeding grounds of the chiru could be found, that place could be protected from hunters, and the species could be saved. Expeditions to foll...more
Story of George Schaller of Germany's quest to protect the chiru's birthing grounds from hunters. He needed to actually find their birthing grounds which was quite tough as no one knew where it was. He attempted to follow them several different years but was unsuccessful. Then, 4 mountain climbers offered to follow them. They would be the packhorses. It was a one way trip of over 200 miles. Book doesn't include whether he was successful in getting protection for the chirus, though.
True life account of a group of men that set off to find the calving grounds of the endangered chiru of Tibet in order to protect the area from hunters. It's an interesting read. As an adult reader I enjoyed it. My son, a second grader, would have been bored by it. I think the text is more appropriate for older primary grade readers. The illustrations are lovely but not breathtaking.
The story of the Chiru, a herd animal from tibet with fantastic fiber. They must be killed if their fiber is taken and they were a species in danger of extinction. A man took interest in keeping them alive and wanted to protect their birthing grounds, but first he had to find it! The story was kind of long and involved for kids, but a neat informational picture book.
This is an interesting story about an endangered species I had never heard of before. The tricky bit about this whole story is that geographically it takes place in a political hot zone in Tibet, where saving animals is complicated by the region's difficult relationships with China and the rest of the world. For some reason, this book, in transcending any mention of these political minefields, made me think this had all taken place several hundred years ago. It was only towards the middle, when...more
The chiru of Tibet are so rare, few people have heard of them. Poachers, coveting the chirus' warm, luxurious fur, have killed almost all of them. Travel to Tibet with the four scientists/trackers who discovered the chirus' birthing grounds and worked with the Chinese government to protect these animals.
For children grades 1-5. Animal lovers and adventure seekers will enjoy learning about how the Chiru (a deer-like creature)were saved from the brink of extinction by a diverse group of people from around the globe--a remarkable, daring mission.
Fascinating adventure about scientist George Schaller and four mountain men who pulled their supplies through the desolate plains and of Chang Tang, in search of the secret calving grounds of the chiru.
The art is of mixed quality (especially if you compare the photograph in the back to the artistic rendering of the men), but the story about the quest for chiru is compelling.
I didn't know what a Chiru was until I read this book. Often referred to as the "Tibetan Antelope" the Chiru is actually part of the goat family. They are considered an endangered species because women quickly found that their wool is amazingly soft. It takes 5 chiru (murdered and skinned) to make one coat. The group of trekkers in this story set out to find the calving grounds of the females. It took many tries but they finally found them. They were able to inform the Chinese government where t...more
Beautiful illustrations interesting story. A little too much information at times making it not the best book to read aloud. Great for one on one reading.
Do you know the story of Chiru? Ever even heard of them? I hadn't till I read this inspiring story of a man who decides to help this dying species.
Wonderful picture book about saving a species of animal, the chiru, with which I was unfamiliar. Beautiful illustrations and presentation.
A little vague about how it all turned out, but a thrilling account of trying to protect an endangered animal under extreme circumstances.
I wish that the layout of this nonfiction story was a bit better. Otherwise, an interesting and clearly told story.
Well told story about the rare Chiru and how they were saved from extinction. Illustrations are unique
Great true story of saving an at risk species.
Wonderful story, stunning illustrations!
Who knew about the chiru?
Feb 17, 2013
Janet
marked it as to-read
Feb 07, 2013
Jaya
marked it as to-read
Dec 26, 2012
Lynn
marked it as to-read
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