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Title details for Akimbo and the Elephants by Alexander McCall Smith - Available

Akimbo and the Elephants

#1 in series

by Alexander McCall Smith
Alexander McCall Smith
Audiobook
1 of 1 copy available
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1 of 1 copy available
Born in Zimbabwe, New York Times best-selling author Alexander McCall Smith uses his first-hand knowledge of Africa to connect with his young audience and supply his Akimbo chapter books with vivid details. In a central African animal sanctuary, young Akimbo sees the carcass of a mother elephant rotting in the sun. Hearing that his ranger father rarely catches these killers, Akimbo hatches a secret plan to apprehend these villains himself. But are the dangers too daunting for this aspiring hero? "This story ... conveys appreciation and respect for the African landscape, culture, and people ." -Booklist

  • Creators

  • Series

    Akimbo

  • Publisher

  • Release date

    January 18, 2006

  • Formats

    • OverDrive Listen audiobook

      • ISBN: 9781449894610
      • File size: 26787 KB
      • Duration: 00:55:48

  • Languages

    • English

  • Reviews

    • AudioFile Magazine
      McCall Smith, famous for his Ladies' Detective Agency mysteries, has written a top-notch children's story; young listeners will be transported to the heart of Africa, to plains where the grass "grows taller than a man." In Akimbo's dry, hot world, elephants still roam wild; the boy lives near a game reserve where his father protects the park and its creatures. The story is sobering: Akimbo is stirred to action when he witnesses a baby elephant orphaned by ruthless poachers who want the mother elephant's ivory tusks. Not only is McCall Smith a wonderful writer, he's a wonderful reader, and his dignified voice adds great depth to the listening experience. Children and adults alike will hang on his words as they accompany Akimbo on his brave and dangerous mission: catching the poachers who kill the elephants he loves. J.C.G. Winner of AudioFile Earphones Award (c) AudioFile 2006, Portland, Maine
    • Publisher's Weekly

      September 5, 2005
      This fast-paced tale launches Smith's (the No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency mysteries) paper-over-board series starring Akimbo, who lives on the edge of an African game reserve. The lad is horrified when he and his ranger father come across a dead elephant, the victim of a gang of poachers who have killed it for its tusks. The boy surreptitiously takes a tusk from his father's storeroom as bait and promises to lead a poacher to a stash of another gang's booty if the man will teach him how they kill their prey. The narrative at times errs on the side of melodrama (e.g., watching the fallen elephant's calf wait for its mother to get up, Akimbo "declared war on the poachers"), but Smith effectively builds suspense. The boy realizes he is being stalked by an animal in the darkness, then narrowly escapes from a charging rhino. Akimbo emerges as a hero after leading his father and another ranger back to the poachers. The tale's brevity, Smith's concise writing and Pham's evocative full-page half-tone illustrations make this an attractive choice for reluctant readers. Akimbo and the Lions
      (1-58234-687-9) is also due out this month. Ages 7-up.

Formats

  • OverDrive Listen audiobook

subjects

Languages

  • English

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