Book Review: The Woolly Monkey Mysteries: The Quest to Save a Rain Forest Species by Sandra Markle

The Woolly Monkey Mysteries: The Quest to Save a Rain Forest Species by Sandra Markle is a nonfiction book for children and adults. In the cloud forests of the Amazon Basin, scientists are installing extraordinary numbers of camera traps in the hopes of learning more about an elusive species—woolly monkeys. No one knows for sure how many woolly monkeys are left in the wild. But they play a key role in their ecosystem, and without them the rain forest is in trouble. Readers can join scientists on their quest to solve the mysteries surrounding the lives of woolly monkeys before it's too late.

The Woolly Monkey Mysteries is a well researched and written look at the research and conservation efforts that are currently in the works surrounding the Woolly Monkey. I never really new about this particular type on monkey, so was very interested to learn about it. I love that Markle not only shares the discoveries that have been made about this particular primate,  but also its place in the ecosystem of Peru and the work that goes into gathering information and making sense of the data. It is so hard to just get a single camera up in the trees to study the monkeys and other wildlife, and the determination and work that these scientists display is inspiring. It might just inspire some of the readers to persevere in something they are struggling with, or see how much efforts others are putting into things they might have never considered hard work. I like that the book offers digital content for interested readers, like QR codes that allow readers to hear the sounds of the jungle and woolly monkey, and see them in their natural habitat. I also found the activity, glossary, and further reading suggestions at the end of the book to be wonderful. These small things can help inspire young readers to take action and research further.

The Woolly Monkey Mysteries is yet another wonderful nonfiction book my Markle. Her combination of scientific research and information combined with action and hope for the future leaves this reader invested and inspired with the future of the woolly monkey and the world as a whole. I love this author's work, and look forward to see what animal she will write about next.