A FAMILY FOR FARU

Fiction and nonfiction meet as a boy seeks to save an orphaned rhino.

Tetenya, a Black boy living in sub-Saharan Africa, takes care of baby rhino Faru after Tetenya’s mother finds the animal abandoned on the savanna. At his mother’s request, Tetenya picks water berries for lunch, but when the bucket spills, Faru tromps through them, staining his feet pink and ruining the family’s lunch. Since Tetenya’s mother has been unable to find Faru a new family, Tetenya takes Faru into the savanna to search for a crash of rhinos to adopt Faru, but on their way, they encounter two hunters who kill rhinos for their valuable horns. Tetenya’s quick thinking saves Faru from the hunters, and he also helps secure Faru’s safety for the long term. This picture book offers a colorful portrayal of a gentle rhino and a boy who cares for him and helps him survive. Readers will encounter many other animals throughout the savanna in Patkau’s illustrations, including egrets, giraffes, an ostrich, guinea fowl, and vervet monkeys. Young readers will also enjoy finding small insects, reptiles, and mammals along the journey. The backmatter offers insightful details on the poaching of rhinos, their endangered status, conservation efforts to save them, and Rao-Robinson’s story of her encounter with rhinos in South Africa that inspired the book.

A gentle story that helps children understand why wildlife conservation matters and why they should care.