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	• Uncommon Traveler: Mary Kingsley in Africa Don Brown Houghton Mifflin, 2003 - 32 pages average customer review:based on 10 reviews view larger image
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highly recommended

Fascinating.

This was read and enjoyed by all five members of our family (ranging in age from 5 to 40+). It sparked interesting conversations about the Congo region and the plausability of Mary's stories (could you really scratch a hippo with an umbrella?). This book also prompted the two adults of the family to find a copy of Mary Kingsley's own biography to read.

Mary Went to Africa When Others Stayed Home

Like he did with his other wonderful children's books about Mary Anning, Alice Ramsey and Ruth Law, interesting, fascinating and heroic women all, Mr. Brown takes a brave woman most people have never heard of and turns her story into an inspiring tale that will lift the heart of all children from four to eighty-four. Englishwoman Mary Kingslely had been virtually house bound nursing her ill mother, even denied school, but when her parents passed away in her thirtieth year she was finally free, so to speak. She'd spent much of her life reading travel books in her father's library and it was travel she wanted to do. She settled on the idea of going to West Africa, a place unheard of for a single woman to go. But wearing her proper Victorian clothes, high necked, long sleeved shirt with a heavy skirt that almost hit the ground, she set out and had many adventures in West Africa.

This is a book about adventure and I try to point that out to my almost three-year-old son Devon. He is a bit young for the book, but his mother and I feel that books are the lifeblood of a child's future and we surround him with them. Books, books and more books for our son and this is one of the better ones. He will be learning to read with it.

Jack Priest, Dad in Training

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wonderful book

The Uncommon Traveler was written and illustrated by Don Brown. Don Brown was a professional illustrator. According to the School Library Journal, they called him " a current pacesetter who has put the finishing touches on the standards for storyographies." Don Brown's first book was RUTH LAW THRILLS A NATION.
This book is a non-fiction picture book, as well as a historical realism. This book is set in the past, an event, which is Mary's exploration of Africa. This book explains Mary Kingsley's childhood that gives her the courage and motivation for her travels to Africa. Mary is a heroic woman, who shows her strength throughout the book. This book describes her adventures in Africa, which she traveled alone and not listening to the warnings from others. This books also shows that dreams do come true and that you can
achieve your dreams, no matter what obstacles that you come across.
While growing up, Mary never attended school or never played with other children. Even though, Mary was alone, she was still happy. Mary mentioned, "I had a great, amusing world of my own: the books in Father's Library." These books as mentioned in the book were her companions and teachers, since she was housebound. At the age of thirty, Mary was free from her duties, when her parents passed away. Growing up, Mary had read books about her father's adventures and inspired by her father's journeys, and the books that she had read, Mary wanted to travel to Africa.

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Mary Kingsley and her adventures.

The beginning of this book looks rather gloomy for Mary, eventhough she seems quite happy while she performs all of her many duties. "Mary's narrow life as handyman, nursemaid, servant, and aide went on for days, for weeks, for years" (Brown). After the death of her parents Mary was free to travel. She had been "inspired by her father's journeys and the travel books she loved" this inspired her to travel to West Africa (Brown). She saw and participated in many different things during her trip. Once she returned from Africa she wrote about her journey and shared it with others. This children's picture book is an excellent source for libraries to have. Children can read about the different culture and adventures that Mary experienced.

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Be aware of the following if this is a gift

I bought this book as a Christmas gift for a 5 year old, but I'm reconsidering because of the following part: "Childhood ended. Youth disappears. In 1892 her mother and father died." It is a wonderful book, but be aware that this subject matter is in here. I will be waiting awhile before giving this book to the intended recipient as I do not know if/when her parents have discussed those issues with her. btw Travels in West Africa is a great book!

reviews: page 1, 2

Mary Kingsley spent her childhood in a small house on a lonely lane outside London, England. Her mother was bedridden, her father rarely home, and Mary served as housekeeper, handyman, nursemaid, and servant. Not until she was thirty years old did Mary get her chance to explore the world she'd read about in her father's library. In 1893, she arrived in West Africa, where she encountered giant Xying insects, crocodiles, hippos, and brutal heat. Mary endured the hardships of the equatorial country?and thrived.

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