Sighting of rare elusive animals is always an occasion to celebrate. One for which wild life enthusiasts wait for patiently day in and day out, for months and years hoping for a glimpse of one of those beautiful creatures.

This book about the black panther recalls the moment of joy and jubilation that the author experienced when he, along with his son, found themselves face to face with a black panther.

The encounter was one of the closest kind, in the author’s words, I could see the hexagonal patterns on his sleek, black body. His thick, long tail bunched at the tip. His reddish tongue was hanging out, his teeth were like small, sharp ivory nails. Inside the yellow eyes, two black marbles shone.

The vivid descriptions help one to visualize the magnificent beast. A book such as this is sure to evoke curiosity and a desire to know more and hence a note about the animal in the back page would have been helpful.

The illustrators vivid pastel strokes, takes us on a virtual safari of the Annamalai Hills. We see, an hornbill, tiger with her cubs, leopard, a herd of elephants, buffalo and sambar roaming freely in the jungles.

A simple tale well told, of the thrill of the chase, one in which man and beast seem to have a mutual agreement for a live-and-let-live philosophy.