Review of A Crash of Rhinos

[Josephe-Anne]

[Following is an official OnlineBookClub.org review of "A Crash of Rhinos" by Ingrid Gunbie.]

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4 out of 4 stars

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Would you like to go on an African safari adventure? Come along for the thrill of a lifetime with Piper and Mr. Click in A Crash of Rhinos by Ingrid Gunbie. Piper is a little girl with big dreams and the spirit of an explorer. She makes a new friend when she is given an old camera. Unbeknownst to everyone else, the camera is transformed into a little man who talks to her. Her imaginary friend is named Mr. Click. Together they take a trip with her aunt to the African continent. Piper is excited and also a bit scared of large animals, but she still hopes to see a rhinoceros. Will Piper get to see one of these rare creatures?

The cover art is eye-catching. It features a cartoon drawing of Piper in the African savannah. Mr. Click is perched on her shoulder. A jeep is parked in the background, and two rhinoceroses are peaking out of a bush. The green and pink title font has tiny images inside some of the letters. I appreciate the realism displayed in the artwork. The book is filled with many other illustrations like this, and the text is divided into short chapters. The story is written from the third-person point of view. The main themes include adventure, wildlife, conservation, and imagination. There is no inappropriate content. This is a well-edited book because I only found a few minor typos.

I like how believable each character is. Piper is an adventurous six-year-old girl who is fascinated by animals. Mr. Click, Piper’s imaginary friend, often acts as a voice of reason to prevent her from doing anything dangerous. Aunt Louisa is Piper’s practical yet caring aunt. She has been on numerous wildlife tours, and she invited little Piper to join her this time. On their safari, Piper is introduced to George and Kurt. George is a quick-thinking jeep driver and tour guide, and Kurt is an experienced animal tracker. There are no villains in this story. Everyone works together to ensure a successful trip.

Colorful artwork is an essential component in any good children’s book, and these lovely drawings do not disappoint. Also, in recent years, I have not seen many books that feature children with make-believe friends, so I thought it was nice for the author to include this childhood propensity. I also thought it was a great idea to mention Piper’s fear of large animals because it shows that fear is natural and it is not something to be ashamed of. Furthermore, this story is very educational – even for adults. I learned that a group of rhinoceroses is called a “crash,” and male rhinos are called “bulls.” Additional information can be found on a fact sheet at the end of the book.

However, there were a few issues with this publication. There was an inconsistency in the text because George stated that it would just be the four of them in the vehicle. Then Kurt said that they forgot about him. They actually did not forget about him because including him, George, Piper, and Aunt Louisa, there would indeed be four people in the jeep. The corresponding illustration confirmed this as it depicted the four of them in the vehicle. I also noticed that the story didn’t specify which African country they were in. I felt this was a missed opportunity to teach kids a bit of geography. In addition, the artist who created the lovely illustrations was not named.

Nevertheless, this is a wonderful children’s storybook. So, A Crash of Rhinos by Ingrid Gunbie has earned a rating of four out of four stars. It is a nice story for animal lovers and aspiring conservationists or zoologists. Little ones will relate to Piper’s natural curiosity and they will learn with her as they read. I recommend this book to children between the ages of four and eight years old.

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A Crash of Rhinos
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[Waliyat_24]

The cover is the first thing that attracted me to this book. It’s catchy. This seems like a children’s story.

[EVERLASTING 22]

Wow! With only a few sentences from the review, I already appreciate Piper's imaginary pal, Mr.Click. I would definitely give this book to my little niece; she would love to read it.

[WriteOn]

I enjoyed the details in your review and your observations added interest. Thanks Josephe-Anne, it was great to read.

Furthermore, this story is very educational – even for adults. I learned that a group of rhinoceroses is called a “crash,” and male rhinos are called “bulls.” Additional information can be found on a fact sheet at the end of the book.

The book seems entertaining and educational. A ''crash'' of rhinos sounds so appropriate! I agree that it would be better to state which country the safari was in. It's never too soon for children to learn about countries in the African continent.

[Annalie Abala]

I enjoyed reading this story..you can learn lesson as well as it is entertaining and knowledgable..i will recommend this book to my kids..

[Dami Bassam]

The book is for a children, there is good illustrations with short chapters.We find adventure,communicate with imagination. Mr Click and Piper's friend work seriously to get a successful trip.We can see large animals to be more attractive ,it is educational also for adults. The story is helpful for teaching geography to kids,illustrations are without name and types of animals are so beautiful.

[Paully_]

The book is lovely. Colourful books spur children to read to the end even when they don't want to. Great review.

[Uwe Neufeld]

Ilustrations are very important to children, especially when only starting to read. Good review!

[Prosper2000]

I like how believable characters are in a book. Great review.

[Madu Abigail]

This a very lovely book for children. I love the cover picture. Nice review.