2008-05-29 Akimbo Displays Courage, Cool, and Ingenuity

Although this book is described as being for the 4-8 year-old group, it seemed to me more like a 7-9 year-old book that might well appeal more to boys than to girls (based on having had two of each in our family) due to some of the gross aspects.

I was attracted to the book by realizing that the various animal-related stories that Alexander McCall Smith includes in his No. 1 Ladies Detective Agency books were among my favorite parts of those books. It occurred to me that the Akimbo books might have such stories in them.

Well, not quite . . . but the series is full of Akimbo learning about wild animals, the threats to animals from people, and deals with the problems through Akimbo's brave deeds. Children like to see themselves playing important roles in the world, and Akimbo and the Crocodile Man is very good for appealing to that desire.

Akimbo's father works as a ranger at a game preserve in Africa where he is visited by a scientist studying crocodiles. Akimbo is allowed to go on the trek and plays an important role when the scientist is injured.

The book is nicely illustrated which adds to the realism of the story.