The young son of a park ranger in Africa adopts an abandoned lion cub and raises it until it is too mature to live in town with people.

A short, simple, straightforward story for elementary age children. Not much to appeal to adults, in spite of the author having written dozens of excellent books for adult audiences. ( )

By the author of the #1 Ladies Detective Agency series. Akimbo lives on the edge of an animal game reserve in Africa where his father has been named head ranger. One afternoon Akimbo goes along with his father and a park team to visit a farmer whose cows have been attacked by a lion. Akimbo's father sets a trap for the lion but it ends up capturing the lion's cub. Since it appears unlikely that the lion will return for her cub, the cub is brought to the game park where Akimbo proudly feeds and befriends it. The lion, named Simba, eats and grows and Akimbo knows at some point that the lion's future must be discussed. That time comes when Simba escapes his run and pounces upon but doesn't hurt a villager. Simba is released into the bush; several months later Akimbo is happy to recognize him from a distance while camping out in the bush.

Akimbo begs his father to let him be part of a lion trapping adventure. The night finally comes to see if the trap works, but instead of trapping the lioness, a cub is captured. Akimbo carefully nurses him to full strength but eventually has to decide whether to keep him forever or let him return to the wild. Straight-forward and charming story of an African boy.