'Ondjou' by Nicholas John, is the absorbing final story in his compilation book 'The Baboons Who Flew and Other Stories' and is ideal for younger readers, who want something more challenging or parents wanting to stretch their children's vocabulary. Sahel brings the lion Sulu Sappor unwelcome news from Africa of the drought-stricken savannah and is fretting about the survival of the family he left there long ago. Unusually, most of the action in this story takes place on the arid savannah of central Africa, as Éjula recounts to his friends, who live with him in the ancient gardens, the tale of his first adventures on the immense African grasslands and how he came to understand the meaning of the 'Third Law of the Savannah'. We get to meet the wonderfully drawn characters of the lioness Princess Zazana-Ocupu, the meerkat Nin34, Éjula's uncle Ejuju and of course Ondjou the elephant calf. This is an emotive story with a surprising twist in the tail, that will grip the reader from start to finish.
