A review by kitsuneheart
A Boy and a Jaguar by Alan Rabinowitz

5.0

I first became aware of Alan Rabinowitz through The Moth, where he told the story contained in this superbly illustrated picture book. As a boy, Alan struggled with speaking, even being labeled as mentally disabled. The only times he was able t speak correctly was while singing or while talking to animals. Eventually, when his problems were identified as a stutter, he was able to get proper training to manage his speech. Being made voiceless as a child, only helped by his animal friends, Alan decided to be a voice for the animals, devoting his life to establishing nature preserves.

The drawings in this book are at times charming, as when young Alan sings to his pets or speaks to the jaguar in the zoo, but also painful, such as Alan's medical exams and the image of a hunter riding away on his horse, a dead jaguar thrown over the horse's back. The latter might upset some children, but the image should be balanced out by the images of jaguars running free in their new preserve.

This was a perfect choice for the Schneider Family Book Award. I'd even consider purchasing this for my personal collection!