Nominated for the Kate Greenaway Award 2004
Practical Pre-School Gold Award winner 2004
'How many hippos are "tano"? How many elephants are "kumi"? We All Went On Safari is a beautifully illustrated counting book about four children going on an adventure through the Tanzanian grasslands. With their Maasai friends they spot all kinds of wildlife in their natural setting, and enumerate them in English and Swahili. Lordly lions yawn under a tree and wiry warthogs rush past. The story adds repetitive rhyme and alliteration to its mathematical content. Facts about the animals, a map and a guide to pronunciation and children's names make it a fine addition to a class library'—Times Educational Supplement
'[A] glorious safari through the country's grasslands. Arusha, Moshi and Tumpe set off on an expedition with their Masai friends. All the animals that might be seen along the way - hefty hippos, lordly lions, woolly wildebeests and enormous elephants - are counted in the simply rhyming text. The book includes an introduction to the Maasai people and the numbers are also written in Swahili' —The Guardian
"A wonderfully evocative rhyming picture book following a group of children on a foot safari in Tanzania. All the animals they meet, from the lonely leopard to the hefty hippos, are there, as the counting increases to ten, with the numbers also given in Swahili. There are some facts at the back of the book about Tanzania and the Masai people, plus facts about the animals, giving their names in Swahili with the pronunciation. A book to be enjoyed by the very young to help with counting but alos newly confident readers who will enjoyed the rhyming words'—Reviewed by members of the Children and Young People's Team, Coventry libraries and information services, Nuneaton Evening Telegraph
'The text's easy, natural rhythm makes reading aloud a pleasure, "We all went on safari / Where the treetops intertwine. / We met mischievous monkeys, / So Doto counted nine." Each sharply detailed scene glows with jewel-like colour, set off by the traditionally dressed human figures' heads and limbs. Further information about the Maasai, Tanzania, the ten children's Swahili names, and the equal number of wild creatures met along the way close this brilliant, horizon-expanding outing' —Kirkus Reviews (Starred Review)
'A popular story form has been used in this picture book featuring subtle watercolours of a group of Tanzanian women and children out on a walking safari. One new animal is added each time the group stops to look—alongside each scene the numbers from one to ten are represented as numerals and with the Swahili word. A page at the back features counting to ten in Swahili, with phonetic spellings.
In the story, each of the animals is spotted by a particular child, and this name and definition of its roots and cultural associations is explained at the back too. For example, the girl's name Tumpe appears as, "TUMPE (f) (toom-pay) —friendly, funny, a leader and organiser'. There's some non-fiction text about Tanzania's people and geography, alongside a map of Tanzania and its close neighbours' —Nursery World
'Join Arusha, Mosi, Tumpe and their Maasai friends as they embark on an exciting counting adventure across the Tansanian plains. Along the way, children will discover all kinds of animals—from lions and hippos to warthogs and monkeys—as they learn to count from one to ten. A delightful way to link literacy and numeracy' —Child Education
'This joy of a book, highly rhythmic and filled with repetitive patterns, is a counting rhyme with a difference. Set in Tanzania, it follows a group of Maasai as they roam the plains, counting wild animals. Each verse—four lines per spread—is alliterative and catchy, and the pictures are filled with luminous colour. The appropriate numeral is given, as is the word written in Swahili. At the back are facts about the Maasia, Tanzania, wildlife, Swahili names and a map'—Child Education
'Have you ever dreamed of going on safari to sub-Sahara Africa? This book will take you to the grasslands of Tanzania and introduce you to the Masai people. This is a counting journey through Tanzania and whilst you track your way through the large expanse of grasslands you meet the animals and learn how to count them in Swahili, Masai people's language. In the cornerof the page is the number and then how to say it in Swahili. Notes on how to pronounce names can be fond at the back of the book as well as facts about Tanzania and details about the animals. Why not join them on safari? The rhyming text is easy to pick up. The book provides an easy to access compact cross-curricular experience about Tanzania. Thank you Barefoot Books for this unique and memorable introduction to Tanzania'—RealBook News
