My fourth grade teacher (in about 1971) read to our class a book about a zoologist couple and their two children (a boy and a girl) who went on an expedition together as a family to the Amazon jungle to discover animals. I think for a zoo, but maybe not. Each chapter was about a search for a different kind of animal (like an armadillo) describing its nature and its habits. The children had some thrilling adventures – for example, with a jaguar – from which they were rescued by their parents. It was a series because I remember that there was another book where they went to Africa.
Tag Archives: Africa
364A: The bird who got a job
I am looking for a children’s book about a bird/vulture/hornbill that is different than other birds and gets a job. Wears hat and briefcase in the book. I remember hornbill specifically but could be another type of bird. Pictures from the book are abstract kind of, moody/dark different from normal books. May be set in Africa? I think he’s also reading a book on another page.
361C: African folktales children’s book
I am looking for a book from my childhood and I’m hoping you can help me. It is a children’s book of short stories/folktales/fables, all of which were set in Africa. Each story was different and had different characters. It was written in English, but all of the characters had African names. I think there were around 20 different stories.
It was a large, hardcover book, maybe 15-18 inches tall by 8-10 inches wide. The cover definitely had orange on it. I think it also had brown and dark green. I also am pretty sure that there were vertical stripes on the cover. I think the book had around 80-100 pages, but that number could be way off.
My mom read it to me in the mid to late 1990s, and it was probably purchased from a Scholastic book fair, Barnes and Noble, or Borders.
359N: Hausa Shepherd Boy and Shepherd Girl
Seeking a 1960s children's book set among Hausa in Nigeria, about a young shepherd boy and shepherd girl.
359C: Murder on the African Plantation
Romantic suspense or mystery, 1960s-1970s? Could be paperback. Young British woman goes to African plantation, murder. She goes home. Police inspector arrives at door. She may have been poor relation. African servants may play role.
358H: Cold War spy thriller set in Africa
As a child (sometimes in the 80’s or early 90’s) I read a book about a brilliant and charismatic Cold War era African leader who uses military cunning to successfully invade two of his neighboring countries (I believe Togo and Benin) .
The plot revolves around the leader setting the two countries against one another by having a mercenary frame one country for planting a bomb in the other. The leader than promises each country his support in a future war, but ends up invading and taking over both countries.
The book features an American or British white citizen visiting the country, befriending the African leader and falling in love with with a black tall singer. He joins the final battle in the book.
I also recall a minor scene where a pedophile communist spy was able to discover the plot by getting a government official drank, but he is killed prior to being able to share the info.
Another character is a British white secretary which works for the African leader and becomes his mistress.
I did extensive online research but could not find the book.
347G: Children’s novels about Ancient Egypt – Akhenaten
There are two or three novels (more like junior high/high school novels - called YA today) in a series. All about Akhenaten and his decision to worship the one god, Aten. He and Nefertiti had several daughters, one named Merriaten? Tutankhamen, who began life as Tutankhaten, was also in the later novels. Very romanticized. No plural marriage mentioned.
345H: The Perfect Shot (Solved!)
My grandson remembers a book he wants to read again. He’s 26 and thinks he was around ten when I read it to him. Setting is Africa in the bush and the whole “journey/goal” is leading toward this main character “hunting" down a tiger and getting the “perfect shot”. At the end the hunter turns out to be a photographer and what an ending that was - the tension in the library was so high when I read that story. So I’m glad my grandson remembers that book.
I was a librarian in a pre-school through 3rd grade school and I bought it for our library so that would be between 1995 and 2005 but that doesn’t mean it was a new book at that time. I often bought used books from some big online store in Portland as we were just learning how to “Google” items like that way back then 🙂
345D: Search for children’s book vaguely remembered – White Girl Joins African Tribe
342B: Racist picture book from mid-century about trip to Africa
Some children go on a travel adventure – at one point they are being chased by a lion while driving in a sort of Land Rover and someone throws a shoe at the lion and hits him on the nose – illustration shows lion knocked on his butt with a swollen nose.