Spotting the Leopard ANNOTATION
In the late 1930s, H. J. Harper is intent on finding a way to help his older sister become a veterinarian and on tracking down a leopard that has escaped from the zoo in Oklahoma City where his father is working on a W.P.A. project.
FROM THE CRITICS
Children's Literature - Donna Brumby
Myers delivers a solid story as a sequel to her previous novel, Red-Dirt Jessie. Jessie's younger brother, H.J., is the hero of this exciting tale set in Oklahoma near the end of the Depression. Well-paced and plotted, the story balances realistic descriptions of family relationships and boyhood pranks with less-believable, but rousing elements. H.J., anxious to help Jessie realize her improbable dream of attending college and becoming a veterinarian, becomes fascinated with the leopard, Lucky, he sees at the Oklahoma City zoo, especially when the big cat escapes its dismal cage to become a hunted wild animal once again. H.J. is a nicely drawn character, an authentic combination of mischievous prankster, caring brother, concerned animal-lover, and self-reliant young man. The book combines excitement and heart to make for an interesting, quick read.
School Library Journal
Gr 4-6-When H.J. sees a caged leopard at the Oklahoma City zoo, where his father works for the WPA, he sees that "misery just dripped from that animal." H.J. is a pretty typical young adolescent, except that he makes a keen connection between the sad cat and his sister Jessie (who was first introduced in Red-Dirt Jessie [Walker, 1992]). Finishing high school, Jessie yearns to become a veterinarian, though their dad, who's never known anyone who went to college, says: "There ain't no way...and it ain't even sensible." Despite such odds, H.J. finds a way to aid the leopard when it escapes its confines and appears (somewhat incredibly) in their own woods, and he also helps his sister to reach her goal. Subplots include the tale of H.J.'s gullible uncle, who loses his business to a con artist, and the boy's evolving if mischievous relationship with his schoolmates. The setting is well defined, and vivid details provide a vivid sense of slow rural post-Depression recovery. The characters are colorful, but some are better developed than others. H.J. and his father are most compelling. Despite the potential excitement of the plot, predictable dialogue and extremely even pacing prevent the tale from realizing its full energy. Those readers who loved Red-Dirt Jessie will nonetheless look forward to H.J.'s continued adventures and Jessie's success.-Carolyn Noah, Central Mass. Regional Library System, Worcester, MA
Kirkus Reviews
It's back to the bucolic Oklahoma landscape Myers (Fire in the Hills, p. 161, etc.) evokes in her newest novel, a sequel to Red- Dirt Jessie (1992), set in the era between the Depression and the outbreak of WW II.
H.J., now a teenager, narrates; Jessie is finishing up high school in town; Mama holds down the homefront while Pa, lucky enough to be hired by the WPA, spends weeks away from the family he loves, earning enough for the luxuries of an extra homemade pie and marbles for Christmas. When Jessie announces that she wants to study to be a veterinarian, sparks fly between her and her father, who can't raise the tuition. The manner in which money fulfills dreams: H.J.'s Uncle Delbert, who owns a successful motel, loses everything to a con man. When a leopard escapes from a nearby zoo to their green pastures, H.J. identifies strongly with it, and tries to help the animal remain free; Lucky is shot and H.J. reels in pain. The novel ends with a zoo official's offer to help Jessie so that she can study at a nearby college. Just as readers of the first book may have suspected, neither H.J. nor Jessie will be trapped by their circumstances; love, support from parents and friends, and their own determination will lead to the fulfillment of their dreams. Myers has created another bittersweet tale that celebrates average people and the courage they muster to follow their hearts.
Home
