A Family for Faru

PreS-Gr 1–Tetenya, a young Black boy with curly dark hair who lives near a reserve in the South African savanna, has found a baby rhino, Faru. After they get their feet and hands stained pink from a lunch of water berries, Tetenya tries to find a rhinoceros family to adopt Faru. They pass many local animals: giraffes swishing through the lemongrass, vervet monkeys snacking high in the trees, and guinea fowl scrounging for seeds, but no rhinoceroses answer Faru’s squeals. After another snack of berries, their nap under a jackalberry tree is disturbed by poachers. Fearing for Faru’s life and inspired by their juicy lunch, Tetenya stains the baby’s horn pink, destroying its value to the hunters. Faru squeals in delight to be away from the poachers, this time garnering answers in return. Patkau’s bright digital illustrations show the greens, golds, and browns of the savanna and accurately portray the South African wildlife, making them easy for young readers to recognize. Rao-Robinson’s plot is predictably heartwarming and the text fun to read as listeners can stomp, slurp, and crash through the savanna along with Faru.