Akimbo and the Snakes [Hardcover]

Alexander McCall Smith (Author), LeUyen Pham (Illustrator)

Book Description

Age Level: 7 and up | Grade Level: 2 and up | Series: Akimbo

Akimbo can't believe his luck when his father allows him to visit his uncle Peter's snake park. And when a local village calls to report a sighting of a green mamba snake--the rarest and most deadly one of all--Akimbo hopes to help his uncle catch it for the park.  But little does he expect to find himself trapped face to face with the deadliest of reptiles.
 
Bestselling novelist Alexander McCall Smith brings the majesty and dangers of Africa to life in this vividly imagined adventure for young readers.

Editorial Reviews

Review

Praise for the Akimbo series:

“In this story of one boy, Alexander McCall Smith brings the importance of conservation to life while powerfully evoking the African setting.”
–The Guardian (UK)

“Readers . . . will cheer for the good-hearted boy as he bravely faces each danger in his quest to protect his beloved animals.”
–Kirkus Reviews

“McCall Smith’s writing and Pham’s evocative full-page half-tone illustrations make this an attractive choice for reluctant readers.”
–Publishers Weekly --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

About the Author

Alexander McCall Smith has written more than 50 books, including the bestselling No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency mysteries and The Sunday Philosophy Club. A professor of medical law at Edinburgh University, he was born in what is now Zimbabwe and taught law at the University of Botswana.

 

LeUyen Pham has illustrated numerous award-winning books for children, including Big Sister, Little Sister; Sing-Along Song; and Piggies in a Polka. She lives in San Francisco, California.

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 7 and up
  
• Hardcover: 80 pages
• Publisher: Bloomsbury USA Childrens; 1st edition (September 5, 2006)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1582347050
• ISBN-13: 978-1582347059
• Product Dimensions: 7.4 x 5.3 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 6.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,063,938 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #82 in Books > 4-for-3 Books > Children's Books > Animals > Reptiles & Amphibians > Fiction

More About the Author

Alexander McCall Smith was born in what is now Zimbabwe and taught law at the University of Botswana. He is now Professor of Medical Law at the University of Edinburgh. He has written more than fifty books, including a number of specialist titles, but is best known for The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency series, which has achieved bestseller status on four continents. In 2004 he was awarded British Book Awards Author of the Year and Booksellers Association Author of the Year. He lives in Scotland, where in his spare time he is a bassoonist in the RTO (Really Terrible Orchestra).

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars If You Are Afraid of Snakes, Give This Book a Pass, May 28, 2008

By 

Donald Mitchell "Jesus Loves You!" (Thanks for Providing My Reviews over 109,000 Helpful Votes Globally) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (HALL OF FAME REVIEWER)    (TOP 100 REVIEWER)   

This review is from: Akimbo and the Snakes (Hardcover)

Although this book is described as being for the 4-8 year-old group, it seemed to me more like a 7-12 year-old book that will only appeal to those who don't have nightmares about poisonous snakes.

I was attracted to the book by realizing that the various animal-related stories that Alexander McCall Smith includes in his No. 1 Ladies Detective Agency books were among my favorite parts of those books. It occurred to me that the Akimbo books might have such stories in them.

Well, not quite . . . but the series is full of Akimbo learning about wild animals, the threats to animals from people, and deals with the problems through Akimbo's brave deeds. Children like to see themselves playing important roles in the world, and Akimbo and the Snakes is very good for appealing to that desire.

Akimbo's uncle runs a snake park. One of the daily tasks is milking venom from poisonous snakes. Akimbo has a chance to help during a long visit to the park. The visit becomes more exciting when Akimbo joins Uncle Peter to capture a green mamba, a very dangerous snake. Without Akimbo, the snake would have gotten away. The book features a terrifying scene involving Akimbo and the green mamba that's not for the easily frightened. The book does a good job of describing about all kinds of snakes and making them seem less dangerous than the most fearful might imagine.

The book is nicely illustrated which adds to the realism of the story.

4 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Akimbo Captures The Mamba, April 28, 2007

By 

Jon Linden (Warren, N.J. United States) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Akimbo and the Snakes (Hardcover)

In this highly interesting and fact filled story, Smith tells the story of Akimbo's visit to his Uncle Peter's Snake sanctuary. In the "Snake Park" are many varieties of snake and many are poisonous.

Akimbo goes to visit for 4 weeks. During that time, he is taught about feeding the snakes and about milking the venom from the snakes. The venom is `milked' in order to make anti-venom so that people bitten by the snakes can be saved from death. The story becomes more exciting when Akimbo and his Uncle go after a green mamba, one of the most poisonous and predatory snakes in the world. The green mamba lives in trees and will often drop down upon its prey and bite it. The bite would kill a human being in about 4 minutes.

They go after a report of a green mamba citing way in the bush. They are not sure whether the snake really is a green mamba, but in fact they find that it is. It is Akimbo who is able to spot the snake in a tree. His Uncle is able to get the snake and they trap it with a device for the purpose. Then it is put in a canvas bag. During the trip back to the village, the snake escapes from the bag and comes into the passenger cabin of the truck. Akimbo is alone in the truck when that happens. He uses great ingenuity and stays totally still. His Uncle then comes from the other side and traps the snake again. The snake ends up in the Park.

The book is one of the most intense books in the Akimbo series. It is a highly interesting and educational book for children. The illustrations are well done and give the reader a very good feeling for the experience. The book is recommended for all young readers.

5.0 out of 5 stars Just Read It! Christians Review (By a 3rd Grader), February 3, 2010

By 

Mrs. Zimmerman "Class 344" (New York, NY) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Akimbo and the Snakes (Paperback)

Do you like surprising stories? If you do, Akimbo and the Snakes is the book for you. The book is about a young boy named Akimbo. He always wanted to go to his uncle's snake park but his father said "Wait until you are older." But one day his father let him go to his uncle's snake park for a school vacation. Read the book to find out what happens. My favorite part was when Akimbo described what happens at the snake park on the way there. It was interesting to learn about how they make anti-venom. This book is great for people who like shocking endings. Hurry up now and read Akimbo and the Snakes!