[Oz-teachers] BOOK REVIEW: Natemba (primary)

[Barbara Braxton]

Natemba
Annette Lodge
ABC Books, 2007
hbk; unpaged; $27.95 rrp
9780933319457

It is a sad  day for little vervet monkey Natemba when her mother is killed by a car.  Lost,
confused and hungry she creeps into the bush looking for comfort but finding none.  Morning comes
and she is woken by a friendly giraffe who offers to help her find some family.  And so begins her
journey. From thorn bushes to grassy open plains, from the forest  to the river, she is helped by
the animals of Africa. But no matter how friendly they are and how comfortable it is to be with
them, they are not of her kind.  She does not belong.  Then one day she gets an unexpected helping
hand ...

One of our basic needs is the need to belong, and this story explores that need.  Thus it is a story
on many levels - it could just be about Natemba's journey or it could be used to explore the concept
of families, groups and other social networks, making it suitable for all levels of the primary
school age group..  The author has used sensitive language which portrays Natemba's feelings of
being very small in a big world while the bold illustrations emphasise that bigness.

This book deserves its place in your collection.

Barbara

Barbara Braxton
Teacher Librarian
PALMERSTON ACT 2913
AUSTRALIA

E. barbara at iimetro.com.au
"Together we learn from each other."