Review
Praise for the Akimbo series:
“In this story of one boy, Alexander McCall Smith brings the importance of conservation to life while powerfully evoking the African setting.”
–
The Guardian (UK)
“Readers . . . will cheer for the good-hearted boy as he bravely faces each danger in his quest to protect his beloved animals.”
–
Kirkus Reviews“McCall Smith’s writing and Pham’s evocative full-page half-tone illustrations make this an attractive choice for reluctant readers.”
–
Publishers Weekly
Product Description
From Alexander McCall Smith comes a brand-new adventure story for young readers – his first original children’s book in more than a decade. This is the fourth installment in a series about Akimbo, a young boy who lives with his parents on a game reserve in the heart of Africa.
Ten-year-old Akimbo has already bravely faced lions, crocodiles and elephants. This time it’s snakes!
Akimbo has always wanted to visit his uncle Peter’s snake park. So when his father agrees to let him spend a school holiday there, Akimbo can hardly believe his luck. Uncle Peter lets Akimbo handle some of the less dangerous snakes, and once he even gets to hold the jar when Uncle Peter milks venom from a cobra! Of all the snakes Akimbo learns about, the green mamba is the rarest – and the deadliest. So when a local village calls to report a mamba sighting, Akimbo and his uncle hope to catch the snake and take it back to the park. What Akimbo doesn’t bargain for is finding himself face to face with the most dangerous of reptiles . . .
