In this touching story of belonging and environmental awareness, a
young boy's courage and ingenuity help an orphaned rhinoceros find
safety in a new herd.
Tetenya and his mother have found Faru, a baby rhinoceros, alone on the
savannah. They know that rhino sanctuaries will adopt orphaned infants,
but finding the rangers who protect local herds may be a long and risky
prospect--there are poachers lurking about the landscape. Undaunted,
Tetenya sets out, leading Faru past giraffes CHOMP-CHOMPING on acacia
leaves, amongst vervet monkeys SLURP-SLURPING sweet fruits, and around
guinea fowl SCRITCH-SCRITCHING the earth for seeds. Suddenly, danger is
upon them: two poachers are coming near. There are only seconds to
spare, and Tetenya has nothing but his wits and a handful of berries to
help him.
In A Family for Faru, author Anitha Rao-Robinson draws inspiration
from her life-changing time spent on the savannah and from
conservationists' innovation to discourage poachers: injecting a pink
dye into rhinoceros horns. Award-winning illustrator Karen Patkau's
dreamy landscapes reflect her own travels in the region and celebrate
the courage and ingenuity of a young boy as he helps his four-legged
friend find a place to belong.