Uncommon Traveler: Mary Kingsley in Africa

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.

In 1892, at the age of thirty, Mary Kingsley's parents died, and for the first time in her life Mary was free to do whatever she wanted. Her childhood had been bleak and solitary. She was completely housebound. Mary never went to school or played with other children. Her father traveled all over the world and was rarely home, and she spent all her time keeping house and nursing her sick and bedridden mother. But this spirited girl made a life for herself in her father's library. "Books were her companions and teachers." So, after her parent's death, and inspired by the travel and adventure books she loved, Mary did what was considered unthinkable for a proper lady of Victorian England, she set off alone to visit mysterious and dangerous West Africa..... Don Brown has chronicled the life and wonderful adventures of Mary Kingsley in his introductory picture-book biography. His straightforward and engaging text is full of history, drama, humor, and Mary's own words, and complemented by charming, evocative watercolor artwork. Together word and art tell a fascinating and entertaining story of a remarkable and clever woman who took charge of her life and never looked back. Mr Brown includes an author's note at the end to enhance and complete the story, and a bibliography of additional books about Ms Kingsley and her amazing African excursions. Perfect for youngsters 5-9, Uncommon Traveler is a simple, yet spellbinding masterpiece you don't want to miss.

Don Brown, author and illustrator of "Uncommon Traveler," excels at the non-fiction picture book. In his newest, he's told and illustrated the tale of Mary Kingsley, a single woman who traveled Africa alone in the late 18OO's. He makes good use of lively quotes from her journals, and keeps the tale to just the liveliest parts--Mary swimming with hippos, canoing with crocodiles, and falling into animal traps. He also lets kids know about her lonely childhood, how she took care of her invalid mother, and of her freedom at 30 from family responsibilities--the time when her adventures began. This book is good for everyone, but would be particularly useful for teachers and libraries, interested in sharing non-fiction stories about adventurous girls. The art in the book is distinctive and the prose style clean and lively. I also enjoyed Don Brown's"Rare Treasure: Mary Anning and Her Remarkable Discoveries," about a girl-fossil hunter, one of the best fossil-hunters ever.