I love the true stories of animal heroes series. I had not heard talala's story before reading this book. Its an adorable story and I loved the cute photos of the real life talala.

A big thank you to Quarto Publishing Group - Francis Lincoln Children's Books and NetGalley for this free copy of this book in return for an honest review.
As I have written previously, Quarto Publishing has a wonderful portfolio of children's books and this is another gem. It is a children's book based on a true story from the Gir National Park in India, and is about a leopard cub whose parents died and Talala is alone and trying to find another group of animals that he might live with. He walks through the park and finds birds, alligators and other family groups but none of them fit him until he stumbles upon a female lion with her 3 cubs. After some tentative approaches, Tamala sits on the outside of the family until the mother lion picks him up and adopts him into the family. This is just a super book in that it teaches a great story of adoption, acceptance and portrays a real interaction. At the end of the book there is a nice short non-fiction information section about these events
Wonderful bedtime book written by Vita Morrow, and I liked the illustrations of Alexandra Finkeldey which are very lifelike yet are geared for children. Another book from Quarto that is bound to be a big hit with parents and small children.. Top Notch work Quarto, keep it up!

I'm not sure if the title is super fitting. Is this animal a hero or very resourceful to make sure she stays alive? The book itself is super adorable and the tale is fantastic, but it feels a little misleading from a marketing perspective.

Regardless, the images are gorgeous, the story is heartwarming and it's a great tale. Just don't go in thinking this Leopard is going to save the world.

Three out of five stars.

Thank you to NetGalley for providing me a free copy of this book in exchange of an honest review.

True Stories of Animal Heroes: Talala is a delightful book by Vita Murrow. This story tells of how Talala, a leopard cub searches for a family finding a home with a lion pride. Based on a truth of the animal within the Gir National Park, my granddaughter and I came to admire while identifying with Talala as she searches for a pack.

We had read several of this series by Vita Murrow with this one becoming my favorite. The True Stories of Animal Heroes: Fluffles still remains my granddaughter’s favorite because it is about one of her favorite animals the koala. As for me I loved the expressions that the illustrator gave to Talala. Those simple facial expressions brought the story alive. As always the text is easy to read and understand as well as having the wonderful photographs of the real Talala and new family at the end. This is a hit series for us.

The publisher through Net Galley provided a digital ARC. I have voluntarily decided to read and review, giving my personal opinions and thoughts.

I love this series and it is very popular in the library. This is a great book about a leopard that is adopted into a lion family. I think it is a fun story and I love the underlying fact that everyone can be excepted. We have a lot of foster children in my school and I think this book will be a nice addition to the library.

The striking feature of this children's book is the fantastic illustrations. In fact, these artist's impressions compelled me, an adult, to imbibe them before even reading the story! Very satisfying. Children will certainly delight in them and eagerly point out the various safari-like animals; some here, and "Oh look, some there too! What are these? What are those?" they'll surely ask. Then they will be lost in them. Once the pictures "release" the readers, they will see the story unfolds in India's Gir National Park. They'll follow the wee orphaned leopard cub, Talala, as she roams this wilderness to try and find a safe haven. She does, in an unusual way....

For those parents who are keen conservationists and wish to teach their children to appreciate and care for nature, this captivating book would be just the thing.

~Eunice C., Reviewer/Blogger~

August 2021

Disclaimer: This is my honest opinion based on the review copy given by the publisher.

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Talala by Vita Murrow is one of our favorite books. The illustrations are beautiful and the story is engaging. I would recommend this book for all children- I can't imagine a child who wouldn't be drawn into Talala's story as she looks for a family to fit into. My daughter had questions about what happened to Talala's first family, but was satisfied even without that information. This is a great book for a library, classroom or child's bookshelf!

The publisher made a copy of this book available for review via Netgalley. This is my honest opinion.

Talala is the true story of a leopard cub that finds home with a lioness and her little cubs. The book is based on a real-life incident that took place in Gir National Park in Gujarat, India.
The author has created a fictional backstory of how the leopard cub walks through the forest at night, looking at various animals ‘families and trying to fit in. Finally, Talala finds a lioness with her cubs and is welcomed by the lioness, who accepts her as a part of her family.
The story is cute, showing how emotional bonds are something stronger than everything else and can defy even nature’s laws. The illustrations are soft and heartwarming, perfect for bedtime reading.
The adoptive mother, the lioness, needs a special mention as she has lovingly accepted a leopard cub as one of her own. The book has pictures of real Talala at the end. I remember seeing them on social media, and it felt good to see a story based on it.
Thank you, NetGalley and Quarto Publishing Group, for the ARC.

A cute little story about how a baby leopard in Gir found a new family with a pride of lions. The book narrates her quest through various animal families before she finally settles on the lions as they seem to match her idea of what constitutes food and shelter and fun.

Of course, the quest part of the story is entirely fictional. But the essence – a leopard cub finding a new home with a lioness and her cubs – is true. I liked how the authors have taken a lovely true story and turned it into a tale of acceptance and adjustment. I liked the photos at the end showing the actual leopard-lion family. At the same time, I feel that the true hero of the story is not Talala the leopard cub but the lioness who willingly gave a place to the orphaned leopard in spite of having her own cubs to tend to. There is a small fact section at the end of the book that talks of lions and leopards and how they don’t usually intermingle.

The language of the book is very simple and can be a great book for independent reading by early readers.

The illustrations are beautiful and bring alive the Gir National Park beautifully. They complement the story wonderfully.

Thank you, NetGalley and Quarto Publishing Group, for the ARC of the book in exchange for an honest review.

I received an advance reader copy of this book to read in exchange for an honest review via netgalley and the publishers.

Talala is the true, heartwarming tale of a baby leopard cub who was orphaned but found a place at the heart of a lion pride.
Talala had quite an adventure before she met her new family and at first wasn't accepted fully by the other cubs, but her adoptive mother nestled her into the pride where she now lives.
I love this series, it's adorable, fantastically illustrated and fun!
At the back of the book there are real photographs of Talala and her adoptive lion family which is just heart melting.

Talala is about an orphaned leopard cub in India looking for her home. She goes in search of a new family and finally finds one with a pack of lions. The illustrations are stunning and the story is very sweet. I loved the beautiful story of adoption.

Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for providing this ARC.

If this were aimed at adults, it would be classified as historical fiction. Instead it is a well written tale highlighting an incident in a famous National Park in India which is very close to the truth while imparting some important life lessons. Families come in all types and adoption is a real thing. Needing to belong somewhere is very important to almost every living being. National Parks are important and should remain protected and funded.
The writing is extremely well done and complete with delightful illustrations by Alexandra Finkeldey and a few photos. The prose is simple but affective and there are facts present before and after the story. This is a good book for adults to read with children as well as good practice for ESL.
I requested and received a free temporary ebook from Quarto Publishing Group – Frances Lincoln Children's Books via NetGalley. THANK YOU!

This is a story about families, and Talala has lost hers. She envies all of the families she sees in the national park, the owls singing, the crocodiles playing in the mud, the antelope sharing a meal in the sweet grass. None of these activities, and none of these families fell quite right for Talala.

When she finds the lion family, it all feels and smells so much more familiar to her, more like home…and as unusual as it may seem the lioness takes Talala into her fold, and they become a family.

I would say that the mother lion is the hero in this story. Leopards and lions are not known for living together, but that didn’t stop her from helping a cub in need.

This is based on a true story, so you get the added bonus of more information and photographs of the real life lion/leopard family in the back of the book.

For my animal loving 7-year-old daughter, this is a wonderful real-life story of Talala, the Leopard cub who joins a Lion pride. The warm colours and beautiful illustrations really bring this story to life. This story is easier for my daughter to follow than Onyx, the previous story we read in the series. The text is easy enough for my daughter to read herself and the images perfectly capture what is going on. For animal lovers, this is a lovely book to read at bedtime or for reading practice.

“True Stories of Animal Heroes: Talala” is a nonfiction picture book about an orphaned leopard. After Talala is left all alone she wanders onto the lands of Gir National Park in west India. As nighttime falls she looks to find a new family group. She joins a variety of species including owls, antelopes, and alligators. Finally though she finds her place amongst a different kind of wild cat. The book includes factual information about animal families, Gir National Park, and the real relationship between Talala and her adopted family. Young readers will love seeing the photographs included as well. This book is part of a series of true animal stories. It would make a great read-aloud for students learning about animal behavior or even just different family types.

The sweetest story based on a real life instance of a leopard cub joining a herd of lions. This story portrays the desire to fit in and find your pride so well. Precious.

Talala is a touching true story of a tiny leopard left alone to fend for herself in the Gir National Park in India. The delightful illustrations will engage young readers, and the real photos of Talala and her new family at the end are a fantastic way to show proof for the story. This sweet story teaches inclusiveness and acceptance within the animal kingdom, a true lesson for humankind. Published by the Quarto Publishing Group – Frances Lincoln Children's Books, Talala will be out in September of 2021.

A big thank you to NetGalley and Quarto Publishing-Frances Lincoln Childrens Books for the ARC. I am voluntarily reviewing this book. This is a childrens book. It is a true story. I am not sure how Talala is a hero, but the story is heartwarming. A leopard cub is taken in by a lioness who has cubs as well. It is a story of survival. Although the illustrations are great, I loved the actual photographs of the cubs together. I think most kids would love this story. 5 stars

I enjoyed reading this wonderful story. I loved the gorgeous illustrations. Talala is a cutie.

I received an ARC from NetGalley and the publisher for an honest review.

I adore these true stories! Talala was the cutest, big-eyed little cub you can imagine. This is a wonderfully illustrated tale about finding your place in the world. Sort of like the Ugly Duckling, though Talala was searching for a place for herself among many species in the park.

I'm happy that she found her way to her new family, even if it ended up being with other species. It just shows how kind and loving animals can be, and I'm so glad Talala found acceptance; a home and a family.

I highly recommend picking this one up, as well as all the other stories, because they are all wonderful!