MJ Reviews: Lion Scream by @RobertaEaton17 @bakeandwrite #wildlife #poetry #southafrican #habitat #environment #climatechange

Blurb

“In this reflective collection of syllabic poetry, poet Roberta Cheadle weaves words, emotions, and images as she recounts her soul-stirring journey around South Africa in 2022. She highlights the plight of the animals in the face of the Sixth Mass Extinction, during a visit to Ukutula Lodge & Game Reserve. Lion Roar is a poetic and photographic roadmap to the heart & soul of South Africa with highlights about the increasing impact of global warming on humanity and the greater planet. A must read!”
—Colleen M. Chesebro, Author of Word Craft: Prose & Poetry, The Art of Crafting Syllabic Poetry

My ARC review

Thank you so much to the author for a copy. Here are my thoughts on this book.

Lion Scream is a wonderful collection of well written, accessible, evocative poetry and stunning photography primarily about indigenous species and landscapes of South Africa.

The images and poetry transport you to South Africa; they compliment each other and are beautiful. It is obvious that the author, Robbie Cheadle is passionate about these magnificent animals and the ever growing concerns and cruel practices of rhinos being dehorned for their tusks, poachers, endangered species, climate change, conservation and the illegal trade in exotic pets.

Robbie Cheadle lives in South Africa and has visited facilities such as Ukutula which is a world-class research and conservation facility, specializing in Genetic Mammal Research and Predator Conservation, which she mentions in this book.

In Lion Scream Robbie Cheadle includes links to several youtube videos which is a welcome addition to this marvellous book.

Here is an extract poem which I loved.  In Lion Scream it is illustrated by an amazing photo of a lion up a tree!

Tree Lion.

Muscles of iron crouch
He propels upward
Settling his bulk into the crook of a branch
A unique position
To survey and wait
***
Great head moving smoothly
Mane protecting neck
His expression is smug; can I see a smile?
Relishing his power
A king on his throne
***
An unobservant bird
Settles on the pond
He springs, slick and fast; I hardly see him move
Just a splash of water
And a spray of blood

I also loved the amusing photos and poems about buffalos, (entitled: Don’t Be Fooled: I’m Africa’s most dangerous animal.)

There are the ugly five: warthogs, wildebeest, spotted hyenas, marabou storks, vulture, as well as lizards, weaver birds, flamingo, duck, and a cute and funny peacock romance.

Cheeta, tiger, wild dogs, antelope, black jacked jakal, monkey, giraffe, hypothalamus, crocodiles, hadeda (her pet bird,) woodpeckers, dung beetles, African bees, spiders, dragonflies, locusts and more!

“Cheetahs are also victims of the illegal trade in exotic pets as many of them die during transportation.”

The final section highlights sunflowers and the environment plus beautiful photos and accompanying poems of shadows, reflections, sounds, and fire.

This is followed by a short fiction tale, The Nutcracker, a tale about the sixth mass extinction, global warming, mental health, the careless use of medication to treat mental health issues, plastic pollution and cruelty to animals.

There is something for everyone in this beautifully illustrated, and must buy book. It would make a wonderful resource for schools too as it is educational and informative.

A fabulous read. 5 star without a doubt!

Some of the videos in the book… but for all the youtube links do buy a copy of the book.