The Monkey King Goes to Africa

The Monkey King Goes to Africa by Jeffrey Frisone was a highly entertaining and imaginative read. It had unique characters that tackled problems and adversaries in Africa. 

The story listed places I had never heard of, such as Namaqualand, Mount Nyiragongo, and Blyde River Canyon. The author did give basic information or a fun fact about each location. For example, the Blyde River Canyon is the "biggest green canyon on our planet." Since I am not overly familiar with the geographic locations in Africa, I went and did some research on them. If your child(ren) and student(s) are not familiar with any or all of the locations, maybe consider doing a research project on them. Knowledge is power! 

There were a handful of illustrations throughout the book, which complemented the happenings quite nicely. I was amazed at how well they were drawn, especially the wooden wolves. 

To avoid spoilers, I won't disclose the plot's resolution. However, I will state you'll be hard-pressed to find a cast of characters such as this again, attempting to solve a similar problem. Talking animals, a goddess, demons, kings, and many more inventive characters round out the fictional cast. 

While this isn't a full-blown religious story, there are several mentions of the "Kingdom of Heaven." For those who do not believe in Heaven, this might be a deal-breaker for you. 

Amazon has the recommended reading age between 8 - 12 years. I don't particularly agree with the starting mark. I think several words will trip up eight-year-old and maybe even twelve-year-olds: Belon'i Tsiribihina, Nyiragongo, and Tripitaka. 

However, despite the language barrier, the contents are most enjoyable. I suspect it'll be a fan favorite amongst many children.