Written by Jan Peck · Illustrated by Valeria Petrone
Grab your binoculars
and follow me.
Let’s travel far away
on a wild safari.
There are lots of fun trails!
Many sights to see!
As we hike, hike, hike,
on this wild safari.
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About the Book
With bouncy refrains and playful animal sounds, Way Far Away on a Wild Safari invites young readers to clap, chant, and explore the sights and sounds of the savanna. Layered into the fun are gentle touches of science—habitat, herd behavior, camouflage, and movement. Great for preschool through early elementary.
Great for: circle time, rhyme & rhythm, animal habitats, movement breaks, and compare/contrast with your prairie, rainforest, and ocean books.
Peek Inside
• Repeating line kids can echo (“Way far away… what do I see?”)
• Friendly savanna animals lion, elephant, giraffe, zebra, hippo, rhino, cheetah, ostrich, meerkat—customize to match your pages)
• Sound words and motion prompts (stomp, swish, swat, gallop)
• A cozy, come-home ending
Teacher tip: Do call-and-response. You read the setup; children echo the refrain and make the animal sound/motion.
Activities & Printables
• Color & Count: Safari Animals
• Move Like the Animals! — stomp like an elephant, stretch like a giraffe, laugh like a hyena!
• Savanna Map Mat — draw waterhole, acacia tree, tall grass; place animal encounters
Storytime Guide (quick)
Before: Look at the cover—What animals might we meet on a safari? Where is the savanna?
During: Echo the refrain together; spot shapes/patterns (stripes vs. spots).
After: Turn-and-talk—Which animal would you visit and why? Draw your favorite.
What Grown-Ups Say
From School Library Journal
PreSchool-K–Following on the heels of Way Down Deep in the Deep Blue Sea (2004) and Way Up High in a Tall Green Tree (2005, both S & S), Peck and Petrone feature a pith-helmeted boy visiting the animals of the African savannah. Each spread focuses on one animal with six rhythmic, patterned lines of text featuring an action the creature is taking (sloshing, spying, roaring, zigzagging, etc). In the end, the animals are revealed to be cookies baked by Grandma. The full-color illustrations are digitally rendered in bold lines and bright colors. Although there is little dramatic action, readers looking for books with a safari theme or for African animals will find adventure enough in the cozy cadences of these vignettes.–Marge Loch-Wouters, Menasha’s Public Library, WI
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
Reviewed in the United States on July 18, 2010
Format: HardcoverVerified Purchase
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