Somewhere in Africa

In this gentle tale, ``the great African continent'' is depicted as a land of much more than the lions, zebras and jungles with which it is most often associated. Ashraf lives in a bustling South African city where traffic lights, tall buildings and supermarkets are part of his everyday experience. But Ashraf also enjoys vicariously visiting the other, ``wild and untamed'' Africa through his favorite book at the city library. The authors create an immediately appealing story at once universal and distinctly African. Children everywhere will relate to Ashraf's jaunt through town and identify with his beloved trips to the library, while the native street vendors and indigenous music and foods mentioned give the lad's adventures a distinctive foreign flavor. Maritz makes his picture book debut with boldly hued, chunky images--eye-catching in their primitiveness--that accurately capture the sights and sounds of big city life. This work, though a bit slight, is an enjoyable introduction to a faraway, multifaceted land. Ages 4-8. (Oct.)