Alexander McCall Smith
"I wish he could be my Grandpa!" I overheard a student in the audience whisper to his neighbor and I thought "me, too." The extraordinarily personable Alexander McCall Smith was speaking to a group of fourth graders and a gathering of adult fans. He made it plain from the first moment that this "little talk is for the children ...I'll talk to the grown-ups afterward." And so he began to beguile every person present.
Smith is a man of great charm, obviously comfortable with and genuinely fond of people. He put the audience at ease with his stories of growing up in Africa and his "little competitions." The class was already aware that he writes books that "my mother loves to read." (The No. 1 Ladies Detective Agency/Sunday Philosphy Club, etc.) as well, as books for children. In fact, he has written over 50 books all told and there are many more perking in his brain-awaiting their capture between the pages of his next books.
Akimbo and the Elephants is the first in a series about the young boy, Akimbo, growing up in Africa. Because Smith has spent so much of his life living in what is now Zimbabwe and Botswana, Smith writes of Africa with great love and insight. Educated in Zimbabwe and Scotland, he is currently a professor of Medical Law at the University of Edinburgh. He has also served as a visiting professor at a number of universities around the world, including the United States.
Travel occupies a lot of his time as he tours extensively, promoting his books and visiting his beloved Botswana. But he also spends lots of time promoting the love of reading. He wants to "get young people fired up about the pleasures of reading." And get them fired up he did. As he engaged the students with questions and opportunities to act in a little skit, he drew them into his world-a world in which literature and language are extremely important.
He told them the story of one of his earlier books for children, Alex and the Tigers. "I wrote this story a long time ago and it goes like this: 'Alex loved to go to the zoo to visit the tigers but one day she arrived to find that the tigers had escaped. One of the latches on the cage had been left undone and the tigers had gone into the town. Now these tigers were extremely old and feeble but the town's people were very nervous to have wild animals on the loose.'" Interrupting the story line, Smith asked if anyone could act like an old, feeble tiger. Of course, there were lots of volunteers! "He makes the story seem like real life." The children were inspired by the power of story and participation.
Then there were more "little competitions" in which he asked questions about science, geography, and BOOKS. The children answered eagerly and exploded with delight when he gave out ten dollar bills for correct answers. He got them re-focused by saying "Let's get on." His Scottish turn of phrase, tempered with a soft accent made it a pleasure to listen to him and, so, he continued to charm the group AND keep them excited about the prospects of reading: "you can learn the answers and get $10.00!"
He did not forget to give some attention to the fans of Mma Precious Ramotswe, the founder of the No.1 Ladies' Detective Agency. His face lit up with a warm smile as he said "I really love Precious...she's a great lady." Announcing that Mma Makutsi (the highly organized secretary) is going to become engaged, he then said "not to worry, all will come well, but in my books engagements take a long time...maybe several books."
His lovely attitude toward people reflects his personal attitude toward life-a life rich with music, books, and lively philosophical discussions. The language he chooses, his descriptions of nature, and his love of his characters all reveal the depth of the personality of Alexander McCall Smith. We can only hope that he continues to write for all ages, sharing his approach to the human existence we all experience. To learn more about this exceptional author visit his web site: http://www.randomhouse.com/features/mccallsmith/
Contributor: Sheilah Egan
Reviews
Akimbo and the Elephants
Alexander McCall Smith
Illustrated by LeUyen Pham
After his great success with books for adult readers, the author has branched out to write for children. He still employs his characteristic writing style: full of charm and a wonderfully descriptive approach to prose. His young character, Akimbo, seems believable even if he does things that would not be allowed in the United States at this time: walking three hours alone to a neighboring village. Upon learning about the devastating effects of poaching in the Animal Reserve near his home, Akimbo decides to set a trap for the poachers. His decision comes about after seeing a baby elephant near the body of its mother, recently killed by poachers. He "borrows" a piece of ivory from the storage shed of the ranger who has collected it as possible evidence to use against poachers ("if any are ever caught"). Then he offers it for sale to a man identified by his friend in the village as "dishonest." He is immediately accepted by the man and allowed to accompany the group of poachers on a trip to hunt for elephants. This part seems a bit hard to believe but, perhaps, the "bad guys" are just as naive as they are portrayed. At any rate, after a hard trek into the Reserve, the group approaches a herd of elephants and settles down to wait for the best time to attack. As luck would have it, the trek has led them fairly close to Akimbo's own home. So once again, he sets out (this time in the dark of night with all of the dangers of wild animals) in search of help in the form of his father and the local ranger. The poachers are rounded up, Akimbo has done a brave deed, and at least one herd of elephants has been spared. At various moments of peril Akimbo remembers the advice and lore his father has taught him. He uses such information to save himself from a charging elephant "The best thing to do is to stay quite still." This book will make a good read for the 8 up group for which it is intended and teach them a bit about Africa, its animals, and the people who strive to protect them. The soft, charcoal illustrations add to the over all impact of the book, giving young readers a glimpse into the story. Bloomsbury, Ages 8 to 10, $9.95. Reviewer: Sheilah Egan (Children's Literature)
ISBN: 1-58234-686-0
The Full Cupboard of Life [Audiobook]
Alexander McCall Smith
Read by Lisette Lecat
Fans of the No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency will be delighted with this fifth book in the series. For return listeners, the landscape of faraway Botswana will seem as familiar as the next county, and the quirks of heroine Precious Ramotswe will be endearingly predictable. She is still "traditionally built," prone to occasional insomnia, and fond of her cup of afternoon bush tea. She is still proud of Botswana, a country that has come so far from when it was newly independent, with three secondary schools and eight miles of tarred road. And even though her work is finding wrongdoers, she's still a mild person who prefers forgiveness to recrimination and shame. It would be a crime to have anyone other than Lecat do the narration for this charming book. As with the others in the series, she enhances the charm and wit of the story with her silvery voice, relaxed pacing, and deft handling of accents and characters. We're transported to a land of sun and civility, where the sky is wide open and traditional manners are important. The cover art shows some rough shelves displaying a few humble plates, mugs, and pots. A small collection of objects--but they represent abundance for many African households. The real abundance, however, comes from the web of human relationships and the enjoyment of everyday existence. These are amply depicted in the book, and the listener comes away with a feeling of gratitude for the "full cupboard of life." Category: Fiction Audiobooks. KLIATT Codes: SA--Recommended for senior high school students, advanced students, and adults. 2004 (orig. 2003), Recorded Books, 6 tapes. 7.75 hrs.; Vinyl; plot, reader notes., $54.00. Ages 15 to adult. Betsy Woodman (KLIATT Review, March 2005 (Vol. 39, No. 2)).
ISBN: 1-4025-5072-3
The Girl Who Married a Lion and Other Tales from Africa
Alexander McCall Smith
Alexander McCall Smith of The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency fame has written his view on folk tales from Africa, mainly Zimbabwe and Botswana, and combined them into this charming read. These tales from Africa have been handed down from generation to generation and speak of an Africa with morals, values, and tradition. While Smith writes in his own style, as he tells in his introduction, the reader can still imagine the people of Africa telling these tales to their children and grandchildren. The stories are simple yet each has a message or moral to convey. From the "Guinea Fowl Child" to "The Girl Who Married a Lion," these stories will leave the reader with the feeling of having visited Africa just like the feeling of visiting with Mma Ramotswe from the detective agency. This book is highly recommended for all libraries. Nonfiction (398), Highly Recommended. Grades 9 and up. 2004, Pantheon Books, 189p., $20.00. Ages 14 up. Melissa Johnson (The Lorgnette - Heart of Texas Reviews (Vol. 17, No. 4)).
ISBN: 0375423125
The Girl Who Married a Lion and Other Tales From Africa [Audiobook]
Alexander McCall Smith
Read by Various Narrators
Thirty-five brief folktales from Zimbabwe and Botswana are retold here by Smith, who collected many of the stories himself 20 years ago. As he says in the introduction, the stories contain the basic human emotions--jealousy, ambition, love, loyalty, and greed. The boundaries between the animal and human worlds are indistinct and fluid, but many contain humor and all exemplify a sense of community. Some of the titles tell it all: "Why Elephant And Hyena Live Far From People," "The Grandmother Who Was Kind to a Smelly Girl," "Hare Fools the Baboons," "How a Strange Creature Took the Place of a Girl and Then Fell into a Hole," "Beware of Friends You Cannot Trust," and "A Blind Man Catches a Bird." Other titles are more intriguing: "Guinea Fowl Child," "Sister of Bones," "Milk Bird," "Children of Wax," and "The Girl Who Married a Lion." Characters include a cannibal, a talking guinea fowl, a wicked leopard who eats her own children, a bird that gives delicious milk, a greedy father who eats while his family starves, a nagging aunt who is eaten by a strange animal, a wife who could not work, a snail who wants to be a farmer, and a man with a tree growing out of his head. The tales are read by five narrators who give this collection the full-voiced treatment with accents, which makes listeners feel they are in the African bush around a fire at night listening to an aged chief teaching his people. This is an excellent choice for any library interested in preserving an important oral tradition. Category: Fiction Audiobook. KLIATT Codes: JSA--Recommended for junior and senior high school students, advanced students, and adults. 2004 (orig. 1989), Recorded Books, 3 tapes. 4.5 hrs.; Vinyl; content notes., $49.75. Ages 12 to adult. Janet Julian (KLIATT Review, May 2005 (Vol. 39, No. 3)).
ISBN: 1-4193-0589-1
Morality for Beautiful Girls [Audiobook]
Alexander McCall Smith
Read by Lisette Lecat
This review addresses audiobook versions of three detective stores set in Botswana. If you can't make it to Botswana any time soon, this delightful series will whoosh you there on a magic carpet ride. Precious Ramotswe is the owner of the "No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency" (which is also the title of the first book in this series). She's a "traditionally built" lady in her thirties, an upholder of the traditional Botswana virtues of respect and courtesy. She suffers from occasional insomnia, enjoys a good cup of bush tea, and drives her tiny white van through the streets of Gaberone and the dusty roads of the African hinterland, searching out the truth about unfaithful spouses, lost children, and wrongs committed years ago. She is a fixer of lives. Her fiancé, the patient and forbearing Mr. J.L.B. Matekone, is the proprietor of Tlokweng Road Speedy Motors. He is a fixer of machines. As for their own lives, it seems that there's always something to fix there too, whether it's the deviousness of Mr. J.L.B.'s grumpy maid, or the needs of the two orphaned children thrust into his care. Fortunately, Mma Ramotswe is endlessly resourceful. As for her secretary, Mma Makutsi, she can run two businesses and organize a typing school in her spare time; you'd expect nothing less from someone who got 97% on her examinations at the Botswana Secretarial College. Although each book provides enough background information to be understandable on its own, it's best to take the series in order. That way, the listener feels "in the know," and gets full enjoyment out of the development of the character's lives. Lecat, originally from South Africa, gives an appropriately leisurely performance, reminiscent of the unhurried pace of an African afternoon. She does an expert job on the different accents, and is equally convincing as an African or an American character. Gradually, her silky voice works a hypnotic charm, making us feel bereft when we reach the end of the last tape. May we hope that Mma Ramotswe will return again, to solve yet more mysteries and captivate us with her sunny charm? Category: Fiction Audiobook. KLIATT Codes: SA--Recommended for senior high school students, advanced students, and adults. 2003 (orig. 2001), Recorded Books, 6 tapes. 8.25 hrs. #97398.; Vinyl; plot, reader notes., $54.00. Ages 15 to adult. Reviewer: Helen E. Woodman (KLIATT Review, January 2004 (Vol. 38, No. 1)).
ISBN: 1-4025-4743-9
Added 2005
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