August 1, 2006
Gr. 4-7. "Africa is not a jungle of wild animals and wandering tribes of hunter-gatherers." Packed with accurate information, this chatty, authoritative overview confronts primitive stereotypes and speaks to American kids about both the rich diversity and the problems of Africa--past and present, rural and urban. Croze, a world expert on African elephants who lives in Nairobi, Kenya, combines the astonishing history of early civilizations with information about what is happening now, including a look at the exciting wildlife and inspiring leaders, the urgent conservation problem, urban poverty, and the devastating personal experiences of child soldiers and AIDS orphans. The frequent printing of type on top of geometric designs sometimes makes the words hard to read. That aside, the design encourages browsing; there are lots of color photos and maps accompanying the detailed, hands-on instructions for craft activities, which range from beadwork to recipes. Informal but never condescending, this accessible book provides not only solid fact but also fun. A selected bibliography and lists of additional books and some Web sites are appended.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2006, American Library Association.)