Review by School Library Journal Review
PreS-Gr 1--Tetenya, a young Black boy with curly dark hair who lives near a reserve in the South African savanna, has found a baby rhino, Faru. After they get their feet and hands stained pink from a lunch of water berries, Tetenya tries to find a rhinoceros family to adopt Faru. They pass many local animals: giraffes swishing through the lemongrass, vervet monkeys snacking high in the trees, and guinea fowl scrounging for seeds, but no rhinoceroses answer Faru's squeals. After another snack of berries, their nap under a jackalberry tree is disturbed by poachers. Fearing for Faru's life and inspired by their juicy lunch, Tetenya stains the baby's horn pink, destroying its value to the hunters. Faru squeals in delight to be away from the poachers, this time garnering answers in return. Patkau's bright digital illustrations show the greens, golds, and browns of the savanna and accurately portray the South African wildlife, making them easy for young readers to recognize. Rao-Robinson's plot is predictably heartwarming and the text fun to read as listeners can stomp, slurp, and crash through the savanna along with Faru. VERDICT Having wide appeal, this story can introduce a range of topics, from adoption to African animals to endangered species. Young listeners will enjoy the introductory trek through the savanna and cheer when Faru finds a family.--Kristine M. Casper, Huntington P.L., NY
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Review by Horn Book Review
In this story set on the savannah (an author's note refers to South Africa), young Tetenya and his mother have been caring for an orphaned baby rhino. They have had no success finding a herd for baby Faru to join, so Tetenya sets out with Faru to look further. The story follows classic-picture-book structure for a while, with a refrain as they come across different types of animals, "but no rhinos." Sound effects add to the atmosphere, as the pair encounters, for example, "giraffes gliding through the long grass...SWISH SWISH SWISH" and "a family of guinea fowl scrounging for seeds...SCRITCH SCRITCH SCRITCH." The details give a strong sense of place, as child and rhino eat bright pink water berries for lunch and fall asleep under a Jackalberry tree -- but the calm and playful interlude is suddenly interrupted by machete-wielding poachers. Tetenya thinks quickly to figure out a way of using the berries to save Faru, and the story comes to a satisfying conclusion. Patkau's digital illustrations use shadows, reflections, and bright colors against the greens and browns of the savannah to make the figures pop. The presence of an armed ranger guarding the rhinos underscores the reality of protecting creatures from poachers, as described in an appended note. But it is the warm relationship between Tetenya and Faru, and the young boy's bravery, that children will most likely remember. Susan Dove Lempke November/December 2020 p.80(c) Copyright 2020. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
(c) Copyright The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Review by Kirkus Book Review
Fiction and nonfiction meet as a boy seeks to save an orphaned rhino. Tetenya, a Black boy living in sub-Saharan Africa, takes care of baby rhino Faru after Tetenya's mother finds the animal abandoned on the savanna. At his mother's request, Tetenya picks water berries for lunch, but when the bucket spills, Faru tromps through them, staining his feet pink and ruining the family's lunch. Since Tetenya's mother has been unable to find Faru a new family, Tetenya takes Faru into the savanna to search for a crash of rhinos to adopt Faru, but on their way, they encounter two hunters who kill rhinos for their valuable horns. Tetenya's quick thinking saves Faru from the hunters, and he also helps secure Faru's safety for the long term. This picture book offers a colorful portrayal of a gentle rhino and a boy who cares for him and helps him survive. Readers will encounter many other animals throughout the savanna in Patkau's illustrations, including egrets, giraffes, an ostrich, guinea fowl, and vervet monkeys. Young readers will also enjoy finding small insects, reptiles, and mammals along the journey. The backmatter offers insightful details on the poaching of rhinos, their endangered status, conservation efforts to save them, and Rao-Robinson's story of her encounter with rhinos in South Africa that inspired the book. A gentle story that helps children understand why wildlife conservation matters and why they should care. (Picture book. 5-8) Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
