Twin Adventures

Backyard Safari

Children - Adventure
30 Pages
Reviewed on 07/20/2021
Buy on Amazon

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    Book Review

Reviewed by Barbara Fanson for Readers' Favorite

Children who love adventures with wild animals will enjoy this imaginative journey in Twin Adventures: Backyard Safari. Come and explore with twins Tate and Kate and meet the wild animals that live in rivers or nearby. The main characters take us on an imaginative trek through into their backyard filled with animals. Can you identify them? Authors Pat Henry and Andre Banks encourage children to imagine animals living there and what would their habitats look like. At the end of the story, parents and teachers could ask children “Would the animals be standing or swimming in a river, in a tree, eating leaves from a tree, or grazing?” After reading this story, children are encouraged to create their own adventure in their backyard, a local park, or take a hike. Can you imagine a monkey swinging in a tree? Could you play the part of the elephant and what would you look like?

Stylized illustrations fill the pages of Twin Adventures: Backyard Safari, a new children’s picture book. Illustrator Bryant Albert has provided wonderful illustrations of wild animals, people, and their habitats that will invite children into the book. Teachers and parents will like the imaginative story and the adventures that could come after the story is told. Authors Pat Henry and Andre Banks take us on a journey into the jungle with two imaginative children to explore the wild animals living there. They also emphasize the importance of bedtime routines and morning rituals for starting each day. Librarians will like this book that encourages children—and parents—to imagine a backyard adventure.

Tiffany Ferrell

Twin Adventures: Backyard Safari by Pat Henry and Andre Banks is about a pair of fraternal twins named Tate and Kate. They are four years old and do everything together, despite having distinct personalities. Tate is pleasant and agreeable, while, at times, Kate is mischievous. This particular day Tate woke up to the sound of an elephant. Waking his twin up, the two got ready in their safari outfits and went outside for their newest adventure, promising their mother they would be back for breakfast. They opened the door to the backyard and found an astonishing sight; a whole safari right before their eyes. There were so many wild animals the two children couldn't believe what they were seeing. Hopping into their jeep, they followed the sound until they found the baby elephant who woke Tate up. They played with the elephant until they heard their mother calling them to come and eat. Ending their adventure and promising the baby elephant they would visit him soon, Tate and Kate went inside to tell their mother all about their exploits.

I thought Twin Adventures was such a fun and adorable book. It made me nostalgic for those days of being a kid and just playing pretend all day long without a care in the world. It shows how children can make their fun wherever they are. Tate and Kate were such fun characters to read about; I like how differently their two personalities are defined, mainly because so many people think that twins are alike in most aspects. The illustrations are also beautifully done and fit perfectly with the storyline. They are so colorful and vibrant they will catch the young reader's attention and keep it. Pat Henry and Andre Banks have done a great job with this book, and I look forward to seeing more of their work.

Emily-Jane Hills Orford

Do you know what sound an elephant makes? Tate does and so does his sister, Kate. It sounds like this: “TRRRRRRRRRRRRRT!!!” I’m sure if you heard one, you’d recognize it instantly. Tate did. Kate and Tate are adventurous four-year-old twins. They do everything together. Mom lays out their clothes every night and the next morning each outfit inspires their creative minds to have another daily adventure. One morning Tate hears the sound of an elephant trumpeting. He’s convinced there’s an elephant in their backyard. Waking his sister, he encourages her to dress in what appears to be safari clothes, and they quickly make their way outside into a wonderful adventure in a land full of exotic animals, including an elephant. They even have their very own safari jeep! What fun! That is until Mom calls them back inside for breakfast.

Pat Henry and Andre Banks’s picture book story, Twin Adventures: Backyard Safari, is a fun story full of creative imagination. With a vivid imagination, anything is possible, even a safari adventure in your own backyard. The plot is simple and covers the regular routine of the twins, Kate and Tate, before introducing what their imaginations inspire into a grand adventure with very friendly wild animals. The language is simple so a young reader can follow along and improve their reading skills. The bright, colorful illustrations certainly contribute to the imaginative theme of the story. This is a great way to encourage young readers to use their imaginations and be creative. We don’t need the latest high-tech toy for entertainment – not when we have a good imagination! Another bonus is that the story introduces possible careers to which young people can aspire, like being a safari tour guide or taking care of wild animals in a zoo. Loved it!