Safari Ride

Teresan Pitman was a childbirth educator in Willowdale, Ontario.

Timmy (age eleven) is the leader of his school safari club and one of the few people in the world who really believes in Tarzan. When his dream comes true and he wins a trip to Africa in a contest, he is determined that he will find the real Tarzan.

Tim (who has changed his name to Rafe for the safari) soon discovers that life in Africa is not exactly the way his Tarzan comic books described it. He is chased by a rhinoceros and bitten by a snake, and the weather alternates between blistering heat and torrential rains. But Tim never loses his sense of humour or his joy in adventure, and his safari ride is a great success. He even meets the “real” Tarzan (who turns out to be an immigrant from Florida).

Safari Ride is told from Tim’s point of view with a light-hearted tone and all the enthusiasm that an eleven-year-old brings to life.