Aahana's Safari of Small Wonders
A personalised storybook starring Aahana, age 6
On a bright morning safari, Aahana rides in a jeep with her guide, meeting one animal at a time — zebras, monkeys, a shy elephant who is really the leader, a sleepy lion, and a river full of hippos. Each stop teaches her something new about the animals she meets, and she carries her growing wonder from one encounter to the next.
Aahana climbed into the safari jeep. The engine went rumble, rumble, rumble. Her hat was big and floppy. Her eyes were wide and ready. Just because it was a bright new day, she was going on a safari. Not for a reason. Not for a test. Just to see what she could see.
Page 1
The jeep stopped by tall, dry grass. Stripes moved between the stalks. Zebras! A whole family of them. Aahana counted the stripes on one zebra. She lost count at twenty. The guide smiled and said, no two zebras have the same stripes. Just like fingerprints, but stripey.
Page 2
Next came a tree full of monkeys. They swung from branch to branch. One monkey stole a guide's sandwich. It ran off, laughing in monkey talk. Aahana laughed too. She held her snack tight. She was not sharing her crackers today, thank you very much.
Page 3
At the watering hole, one elephant stood apart from the rest. She was quiet. She did not trumpet or splash. Aahana whispered, is she shy? The guide shook his head slowly. Watch, he said. Just watch and see what happens next.
Page 4
The quiet elephant lifted her trunk. Every other elephant turned to look at her. She walked toward the trees, and the whole herd followed. She was not shy at all. She was the leader. Elephants use trunks like hands, the guide said, to touch and to lead.
Page 5
Under a wide, shady tree, a lion slept in the sun. Aahana held her breath. The lion did not move one whisker. The guide whispered, lions sleep almost all day long. They save their energy for hunting at night. Even kings need long, long naps.
Page 6
By the river, hippos bobbed like giant, gray boats. Only their eyes and ears popped up. Aahana giggled at their funny little ears. One hippo let out a huge, wet snort. Water sprayed everywhere. Aahana got splashed, and she did not mind one bit.
Page 7
The sun turned orange as the jeep rolled home. Aahana thought about stripes, trunks, naps, and splashes. She had not solved anything today. She had only watched, and wondered, and learned. That was enough. That was, actually, everything.
Page 8