From Booklist
Gr. 3-5. By a well-known author of adult books, this story featuring a young boy, Akimbo, who lives "in the heart of Africa," conveys appreciation and respect for the African landscape, culture, and people, as well as a sense of the importance of wildlife conservation. Akimbo accompanies his father, a wildlife ranger, on an investigation of lion attacks on an area farm, where Akimbo finds a lion cub. He takes over the cub's care, but when it gets older, the boy knows that he must return his beloved cub to the wild. Akimbo emerges as a brave, caring protagonist who faces dilemmas and danger in the service of the animals and people he loves. The illustrations, which appear to be well-executed, soft-edged, black-and-white pictures, were not available in completed form in this galley. Pair this with Smith's Akimbo and the Elephants.
Shelle RosenfeldCopyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved
Product Description
Ten-year-old Akimbo lives on a game preserve in Africa. His father is the head ranger, and Akimbo is eager to help him whenever he can—even if it means getting into some pretty dangerous situations.
In Akimbo and the Lions, Akimbo helps his father set a trap for a lioness that has been attacking cattle on nearby farms. But when the lion they catch turns out to be a cub, Akimbo must find a way to care for the young lion until it’s old enough to be released in the wild.
