Review of The Curious Cousins and the African Elephant Expedition

Post by **Sarah Zain** » 29 May 2024, 08:50

I enjoyed reading your review Gerry. I loved the idea of the book, especially since it uses dreams and children's imagination to convey the idea. I don't know about strict beliefs what would offend me as a Muslim. But the honesty of a warning is a very valuable thank you.

Runan · Post by **Runan** » 29 May 2024, 10:07

Another wonderful book for children. It is culturally inclusive and teaches children about the flora and fauna of South Africa. Your review is splendid as usual!

Brandon Sanderson · Post by **Marie Chalupová** » 30 May 2024, 06:10

It's important for kids to learn about their heritage and this book can make it easy for parents to make them interested. Great review.

Nwachukwu Somto · Post by **Nwachukwu Somto** » 31 May 2024, 17:34

The inclusion of interesting facts about flora, fauna, and landscapes, as well as the introduction of Zulu words, not only enhances the educational value of the book but also immerses readers in the rich diversity of South Africa. Great review.

Nwachukwu Somto · Post by **Nwachukwu Somto** » 31 May 2024, 17:46

Your review captures the essence of what makes this book appealing and educational for children of various ages.

Post by **MAHAD BAIG MIRZA** » 02 Jun 2024, 09:25

Your review of "The Curious Cousins and the African Elephant Expedition" was fantastic. You delved into the heart of the story, highlighting its educational value for children regarding South African animals, culture, and language. Your description of the artwork's vibrant portrayal of wildlife, landscapes, and village life painted a vivid picture of the book's visual appeal. Additionally, your mention of the incorporation of Zulu words and their pronunciation added depth to your analysis of the book's cultural authenticity. Overall, your review provided a comprehensive overview of the book's themes and features, making it clear why readers would enjoy it. Great job!

Eobi jonh · Post by **Eobi jonh** » 03 Jun 2024, 03:54

Would love to read this soon be en seeing a lot of great reviews

Amy Luman · Post by **Amy Luman** » 04 Jun 2024, 11:57

It would be nice for children to learn these thing, but as an adult I would enjoy being taught them as well. This is sure a great way for a grandparent to share culture and anything else that is important to them. And help others, too. Thanks!

Nkiruka Nwankwo · Post by **Nkiruka Nwankwo** » 06 Jun 2024, 16:01

Wow
This book is indeed a great one with so much features to learn from i know. I love it and will love to try it out

Stephen Somtochukwu Ezeme · Post by **Stephen Somtochukwu Ezeme** » 18 Jun 2024, 07:02

The book is filled with a lot of things to learn. It is a great thing to learn about nature.

Bassey Anthony Akpan · Post by **Bassey Anthony Akpan** » 18 Jun 2024, 17:27

With its rich species of wildlife, South Africa prides itself as a destination for tourists who want to large games and teach their children what these animals look like. This book provides useful insights on wildlife adventures especially for children.

Bassey Anthony Akpan · Post by **Bassey Anthony Akpan** » 18 Jun 2024, 17:29

Runan wrote: ↑29 May 2024, 10:07 Another wonderful book for children. It is culturally inclusive and teaches children about the flora and fauna of South Africa. Your review is splendid as usual!

This book is an inspiration for children who want to learn about culture and wildlife in a typical African setting. Good book

Post by **Neha Panikar** » 06 Jul 2024, 02:37

Love the review! I like how an educational book has been creatively converted into an easy interactive story-like children's book. This helps enjoyment while learning new things and easy retention as well. Can't wait to gift these to my nephews and nieces!

Sandre Lamar · Post by **Sandre Lamar** » 12 Jul 2024, 22:21

A captivating read.

Adrian Bouknight · Post by **Adrian Bouknight** » 14 Sep 2024, 19:58

Gerry Steen wrote: ↑20 May 2024, 23:25 [Following is an official OnlineBookClub.org review of "The Curious Cousins and the African Elephant Expedition" by Dr. Debra Ford Msc.D.]

5 out of 5 stars
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Would you like your children to learn about South African animals, culture, and language? Do you want your children to see art that portrays South African flora, fauna, and village life? Are you interested in your child developing a new vocabulary consisting of English and Zulu words? If you answered yes to these questions, you should get a copy of The Curious Cousins and the African Elephant Expedition by Debra Ford.

The author was inspired to write this book so that their grandchildren could experience the family’s South African heritage. Ford’s three granddaughters Emilia Rose, Isla Mae, and Audrey Jane were cousins.

The cousins were used as characters in the story. They believed that in their dreams people could travel anywhere and communicate with everything. The girls agreed to meet in their dreams and journey to South Africa to see elephants. Along the way, they came across several floras and faunas including a weever bird, ant, puff adder snake, dung beetle, daddy long-legs spider, dragonfly, and fever tree. They each greeted the children, explained their habits, and gave advice to make the journey easier.

Children reading this story will be treated to interesting facts about the flora, fauna, landscapes, and people the girls met on their journey. The book features beautiful artwork depicting wildlife, landscapes, villages, and people. The art is lively and bright. Juvenile readers will be captivated by the childlike style, beauty, and vivid colors of this artwork.

Amusing words were sprinkled throughout the story. Audrey Jane kept a list entitled "Audrey Jane’s Favourite Words." The list included cacophony, brouhaha, snorkel, nocturnal, gyrating, perturbed, ambulatory, and ginormous. This list appeared in the appendix with a short definition for each word. Several Zulu words were introduced in the story. Their pronunciation was spelled out in English, and their definitions were given. The Zulu words included thula, manyeleti, woza, sawubona, hamba gahle, yebo, gogo, amanzi, umama, indlovu, jigamanzi, ubuntu, and yabonga. The Zulu words added authenticity to the South African theme.

This book has short chapters, various themes, and vivid art. All of these factors will contribute to keeping your 3 to 6-year-old child enthralled. This book is appropriate for early readers up to 9 years old. Adults will enjoy reading the appendix and glossary that provide more information to discuss with their child.

This storybook succeeded in giving me a genuine South African experience. The editing was professionally done, and the story was easy to read. The art was pleasing to the eye. I did not find anything to dislike about the book. The following information was provided in the official book description I read before reading and reviewing this book: “This book introduces spirituality to children (not religion), to understand their connection with all (insects, birds, animals and plants) and to know that they are 'more than their physical body' and therefore can explore their dreams. This book will NOT appeal to those who hold strong traditional religious beliefs, especially Christianity, Islam, and Judaism.” I am a Christian, and I was not offended at all. In conclusion, I gave this book 5 out of 5 stars.

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The Curious Cousins and the African Elephant Expedition
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon

I am most certainly interested in sharing this book with my daughter! Especially since she loves African flora and fauna! Thank you for sharing this review, Gerry. I will keep in mind that this book may have concepts that may not be appealing to people of traditional religious beliefs. This sounds like an interesting book that I'll keep in mind moving forward. I also appreciate good artwork, and wouldn't mind some beautiful works to break up my reading.

Thanks, Gerry.