"Growing Up in Africa" is a nonfiction account of a man and his two daughters who went to live in Africa for a time. He had been offered a job at a small college near the village of Kitwe, and so the family made Africa their home for a number of years. The book tells some of the highlights of their time away from their native California home, and while it is nonfiction, it reads like a book of short stories.

Annie and Alicia are the two daughters, and much of the book is written from their perspective. They make friends with the local children, have experiences with the wild animals, and eat some pretty exotic food - like snake and gopher - and they have a wonderful time doing it.

One of my favorite stories in this book tells of a native boy who was taken from the riverbank by a crocodile and taken to an underwater grotto to decay. The animal shoved the unconscious boy into the hole in an upright position, unknowingly leaving him a pocket of air. When the boy regained consciousness, he was able to dig his way out, escaping death. It was amazing.

I also really enjoyed the story of Chester, the chimpanzee the family adopted. He loved to play dress-up with the girls, his favorite outfit being a Santa suit. When they returned to California, they took Chester to the zoo and left the dress-up clothes with him, to the delight of all the zoo visitors who came to see the chimp dressed like an old lady.

One thing I particularly appreciated about the book is that after every chapter, there is a fact sheet about the topic covered in that chapter. We learn about chameleons, elephants, cobras and lions, as well as tribal customs of the African people.

This book can be enjoyed by child and adult alike, and I highly recommend it for your family.