Robert Bateman has earned an international name for himself as an artistic, distinctly realistic chronicler of Canadian wildlife. But he has also made many trips to Africa, and Safari is the result of his life-long love of the animals there.

Part of the magic in Safari’s illustrations lies in the fact that Bateman has managed to obtain a really detailed look at his subjects. These paintings are done at such close quarters that readers can see the whiskers on the face of a cheetah and the creases of an elephant’s hide.

While the illustrations in Safari are stunning in themselves, the accompanying text (by Bateman and writer Rick Archbold) provides the real learning material in the book, by describing what’s going on in each action picture. Useful fact boxes also provide details such as the height, weight, and geographical range for each of the animals. Did you know the fierce African Cape buffalo is so dangerous that even lions are afraid to tangle with it, or that elephants love to eat the bark of the baobab tree? Such facts go hand in hand with each painting to provide a complete package of information.

Bateman captures not only animals, but their surroundings as well. His depictions of settings as varied as a mountain rain forest and an arid desert complement the paintings of gorillas and impalas beautifully. There is also a strong message throughout about the importance of conserving endangered species. One minor omission: without a map, it’s difficult to understand just which animals co-habitate and where they live.

In all, though, Safari is a majestic, informative representation of African wildlife that will captivate young readers of just about any age.