From School Library Journal
PreSchool-Grade 2-A lively group of Maasai children takes readers on a trek across the grasslands of Tanzania in a counting book that doubles as an introduction to this culture. Youngsters will learn numbers from one to ten in English and Swahili as Mosi, Tumpe, Arusha, and other friends count African wildlife. Attractive borders frame vibrant watercolor spreads of different types of animals, including giraffes, elephants, zebras, and lions. The rhyming singsong verse, beginning with the refrain "We all went on a safari," lends itself to a fun read-aloud. The artwork is undoubtedly lovely, but there are some cultural misrepresentations. While it may be just to add an element of humor, one must wonder if the inclusion of a few bare-bottomed children doesn't reinforce negative stereotypes about Africans running around naked in the wilderness. Also, even at a young age, a male would always lead the line on the vibrant spreads that illustrate the numbers one (moja) and two (mbili). And why does one boy carry a spear? These children are going on a safari, not a hunt. Still, the panoramic spreads are striking, and the art has a graceful movement that takes readers right into the action and gives a sense of the joy these children are experiencing.Ajoke' T. I. Kokodoko, Oakland Public Library, CACopyright 2003 Reed Business Information, Inc.

FROM THE CRITICS

Publishers Weekly

Graceful watercolors of Maasai characters moving through the grasslands illuminate We All Went on Safari: A Counting Journey Through Tanzania by Laurie Krebs, illus. by Julia Cairns. Rhyming text introduces different animals, from one leopard to 10 elephants. Numbers are also given in Swahili, along with a pronunciation guide; endnotes supply facts about the Maasai and Tanzania. Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information.

School Library Journal

PreS-Gr 2-A lively group of Maasai children takes readers on a trek across the grasslands of Tanzania in a counting book that doubles as an introduction to this culture. Youngsters will learn numbers from one to ten in English and Swahili as Mosi, Tumpe, Arusha, and other friends count African wildlife. Attractive borders frame vibrant watercolor spreads of different types of animals, including giraffes, elephants, zebras, and lions. The rhyming singsong verse, beginning with the refrain "We all went on a safari," lends itself to a fun read-aloud. The artwork is undoubtedly lovely, but there are some cultural misrepresentations. While it may be just to add an element of humor, one must wonder if the inclusion of a few bare-bottomed children doesn't reinforce negative stereotypes about Africans running around naked in the wilderness. Also, even at a young age, a male would always lead the line on the vibrant spreads that illustrate the numbers one (moja) and two (mbili). And why does one boy carry a spear? These children are going on a safari, not a hunt. Still, the panoramic spreads are striking, and the art has a graceful movement that takes readers right into the action and gives a sense of the joy these children are experiencing.-Ajoke' T. I. Kokodoko, Oakland Public Library, CA Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information.

Kirkus Reviews