Starry Safari
written by Linda Ashman
illustrated by Jeff Mack
Harcourt  June 2005
ISBN 9780152047665
Ages 2-5                    

Beep! Beep! Beep! A daring girl and her trusty orange jeep are off on an exciting safari. There are giraffes to watch, rhinos to race, and wily crocodiles to avoid. And when a roaring lion crosses her path, she knows exactly what to do: roar back! But will she be as courageous when it's time for bed and there are lots of scary night noises?


Action packed from beginning to end, this rhyming adventure will keep young readers on the edge of their seats. Going on safari has never been more fun!

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School Library Journal

PreSchool-Grade 1-An entertaining tale in which a girl's vivid imagination whisks her away to Africa. The text begins, "Racing in my sturdy jeep-on safari! Beep! Beep! Beep!" Zebras, giraffe, water buffalo, and a crocodile are some of the beasts she encounters. The large, double-spread acrylic illustrations humorously depict her adventures with the creatures, some friendly and some not so. The child is quite capable of fending for herself until, "Uh-oh. Footsteps. Greater danger! It's the Big Safari Ranger." While Dad is tucking her in again, the collection of toy animals scattered over the bedclothes reveals where all those fancies originated. Bold words such as "SCREEEEEECH!" "YIKES!" "CRASH!" and "ROAR!!!" are clear indicators that a reading just before bedtime may wake a child up rather than lull one to sleep. The richly colored pictures and constant action make this a good choice for storytime. Ashman's Sailing off to Sleep (S & S, 2001) has a similar, though quieter, ending while this title is a rip-roaring, exciting excursion.-Maryann H. Owen, Racine Public Library, WI

BookList

PreS-K. Racing through the jungle in her sturdy jeep, the unnamed narrator encounters threatening wildebeests, a^B giraffe, an angry rhino, an ostrich, "a roadblock buffalo," and more. When a lion pounces on her tent, she scares it off by roaring back. And then there are all those noises in the night: roar, rumble, snort, squeal. The greatest threat, however, is the booted Big Safari Ranger, who tucks her into her bed at home "again," where she nestles comfortably beside the stuffed toy animals that populate her jungle fantasy. Large type bounces in rhythm with the vividly colored, action-packed acrylic illustrations, showing the round-faced, dot-eyed, grinning girl courageously confronting all the animals that come her way. Preschoolers will recognize most of the animals (except possibly wildebeests), and they'll giggle with delight when they realize this is a bedtime tale--and immediately begin planning their own imaginative safari. A great vehicle for a storytime using jungle-animal finger puppets. Julie Cummins


Kirkus Reviews

This adventurous romp through the before-bedtime jungle is accentuated by fantastic sound effects: "Beep! Beep! Beep!" and "Screeeeeech!" as the safari-bound youngster races his (or her) jeep through the terrain, passing the likes of zebras and wildebeests. All is well until the jeep bumps into a rhino calf. The rhino, accompanied by a lanky ostrich, gives chase. Things really get zany as the child jumps into the mud with hippos, meets a crocodile and somersaults with chimps. At last, he or she settles inside a tent, curls up and listens to the noisy night. All manner of creature sounds breach the relative safety of the tent cloth, from hoots and squeals to rumbles and hisses. Finally, the "Big Safari Ranger" stops the action and it really is bedtime-surrounded by miniatures of everything met along the way. With full-page waggish illustrations painted in thick strokes with lively colors, this mini-thriller is proof that imaginations really can go wild.