Hatari! Danger! from Reycraft BooksTakes Readers on an Exciting African Adventure
The nonfiction picture book provides a visually rich exploration of the wildlife in the Kenyan bush, as seen through the eyes of a daring safari guide.
New Rochelle, NY, Oct. 1, 2022—Leading children’s trade publisher Reycraft Books transports readers in Grades 3 and up to the sprawling Kenyan bush for a tour of its amazing animals in the book Hatari! Danger! Published in hardcover on July 28, 2022, Hatari! Danger! is a collaboration between Kenyan safari guide Jackson Liaram and American writer Mary Bowman-Kruhm. The authors met and formed an enduring friendship in the early 2000s, when Bowman-Kruhm and her family were on a trip to Kenya.
Filled with beautiful, vibrant photos, Hatari! Danger! shows off the wondrous wildlife living in Kenya’s Masai Mara game reserve and describes the different dangers that exist in the region, with fascinating facts included along the way. Across 200 pages, the authors tell stories from Liaram’s point of view about the various creatures, the Maasai people that live among them, and the on-the-job experiences and encounters as a safari guide that regularly put Liaram’s life in peril and have him thinking, “Hatari!”—the Swahili word for “danger.”
Bowman-Kruhm said that she fully enjoyed the entire collaboration process on Hatari! Danger!, even with her co-writer half a world away. “Writing is such a solitary job that getting together, whether in person, phone, or however, leads to communicating with a friend—and that leads to good conversation, including laughs,” she said. “I commend Reycraft for valuing diversity—and no co-authors could be more diverse than a young black Kenyan safari guide and a senior citizen white suburban Marylander.”
ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Mary Bowman-Kruhm’s previous works include biographies on Margaret Mead and the Leakey family and numerous A Day in the Life of... books in the “Kids’ Career Library” series. In 2004, after a visit to Kenya, she and her family had the opportunity to sponsor Jackson Liaram’s education in his quest to become a safari guide. This was the beginning of an amazing friendship that has involved working to bring a well to Jackson’s village so villagers could have access to water, and to co-writing the book Hatari! Danger!. As Mary says, “I am proud Jackson, as a safari guide, now shares his knowledge and passion to protect wildlife.... Jackson is truly like a son to me. From knowing him, I have learned how alike all people are.”
ABOUT REYCRAFT BOOKS: Reycraft Books partners with award-winning and up-and-coming authors and illustrators, primarily from underrepresented communities, to provide high-quality books that delight, inform, and honor the voice and vision of all children. Founded in 2019, the imprint publishes authentic stories—engaging picture books, chapter books, middle grade books, graphic novels, and more—that build knowledge, perspective, and connection, meeting the diverse needs of children, families, and educators.