On a mission to shoot specimens for the Smithsonian with none other than Teddy Roosevelt, ten-year-old Indy finds that his own life is endangered when he sets off to find a vanishing species of gazelle. Simultaneous.
Missing a lot of the excitement that I expect from Indiana Jones whether young or not, the message was a bit heavy-handed but despite that this book was still interesting enough of a glimpse into a very different era and how the whites saw Africa.
A story of friendship and danger in the African wilderness
I read this book aloud for my sons age 10 and 13. We really enjoyed the book, which involves Indy travelling to Africa with his parents and governess. They meet former president Teddy Roosevelt, and Indy is eager to help Roosevelt track down the fringe-eared oryx - and his eagerness leads him to both friendship and life-threatening danger in the African wilderness. Indy shows his ability to learn languages, solve mysteries and stand up for what's right -- even if it means confronting his own hero.
The book contains no illustrations aside from a hand-drawn map. It is based on the television episode "British East Africa, September 1909." The book ends with a historical note about Teddy Roosevelt and his role in wildlife conservation.