What's the Difference Between a Leopard and a Cheetah?

by Lisa Bullard, Debra Bandelin (Illustrator)

Do you know the differences between a leopard and a cheetah? One animal has a thick powerful body. The other animal has a thin body for speed. Find out which animal is which--

24 pages, Library Binding

First published August 1, 2009

About the author

Lisa Bullard is the award-winning author of more than sixty books for children, including the middle grade mystery Turn Left at the Cow. She is also the author of the how-to guide Get Started in Writing for Children. Her books for younger readers include picture books and nonfiction titles such as Trick-or-Treat on Milton Street and You Can Write a Story: A Story-Writing Recipe for Kids. Her books have won several honors, including a Children’s Choice Award, two Teacher’s Choice Awards, a Science Books & Films’ Best Books listing, a National Parenting Publications Children's Resources Silver Award, and a Storytelling World Awards Honor Title. For over fifteen years, Lisa has taught writing classes for adults and young people at the Loft Literary Center in Minneapolis and in a variety of other settings. Lisa is a graduate of the University of Denver’s Publishing Institute.

Reviews

[Jana · Rating 4 out of 5]

This fascinating nonfiction picture book uses a compare and contrast text structure to share information about leopards and cheetahs with young readers. There are many subtle differences between these two members of the cat family, and the beautifully rendered illustrations and engaging text make this book a nice resource to have in a classroom library. Fun facts and a list of additional resources can be found on the last page.

[Hannah · Rating 4 out of 5]

An excellent book about leopards and cheetahs! Full of great facts, but also simple, easy to understand text! Perfect book for an early elementary aged child!

[Donna · Rating 5 out of 5]

You know I have had many sleepless nights pondering this very question. What is the difference between a leopard and a cheetah, other than one sold out to good old American capitalism? I know you all know Chester the Cheetah the official mascot for Frito-Lay Co. since the early 1980's. "It ain't easy being cheesy!" Then "The cheese that goes crunch!" and onto "Dangerouly Cheesy!" This guy even has home video games, but I divagate. Back to the real differences: Leopards could kick a cheetah's butt if he could catch him. Cheetahs can travel up to 70 mph. Leopards have rosette spots while cheetahs have plain old spots. Leopards roar, Cheetahs purr. Leopards hunt at night while cheetahs hunt during the day. Scientist believe that is why they have the dark tear marks on their face. Kind of like football players use that black smudge to keep the sun out of their eyes. Leopards have retractable claws which keep them very sharp. Cheetahs claws are more like a dog so they can have better traction when they are making those hairpin turns at 70 mph. So there you have it. If a fight did occur my money is on the leopard, but for the best tasting cheesy snacks my buck goes to Chester.

[Matthew · Rating 4 out of 5]

This whole series is well done. This volume is just as good as the others. If you don't understand what separates these two animals, this book will clear it up. Simple and easy to understand. Well done.