This compelling look at the lives of a troop of ringtailed lemurs on Madagascar follows a small group of researchers led by primatologist Allison Jolly as they track the lemurs' movements and interactions over a period of several days, watching both small and large dramas unfold. Lasky also writes about what has been conjectured about how this island became the only place in the world where lemurs, as well as certain plants, are found. A short profile of Jolly and how she became a primatologist is also included in this information-packed volume that ends with a warning about the pending ecological crisis on this island,where the lemurs' habitat is vanishing, and how Jolly's work will hopefully help the Malagasy government on Madagascar promote a sustainable environment for humans and lemurs alike. Christopher G. Knight's rich color photographs profile the lemurs, as well as Jolly and the researchers, in action. (Ages 8-11)

Stunning photographs and evocative text take readers to far-off Madagascar where primatologist Alison Jolly dwells and works among lemurs. These fascinating, endangered primates socialize in troops, and like humans, they are often involved in power struggles and family disputes.