• Age: 7 to 10
• Grade: 1 to 4
• Reading age: 6 to 8

For her tenth birthday Maddy went to visit Tanzania with her photographer uncle, Alessandro. Maddy was impressed by the beautiful landscapes and the amazing animals she saw, but most of all she was struck by the wonderful people she met there.

An award-winning writer, Megan K. Williams received a Pultizer Fellowship from the Columbia School of Journalism. The author of numerous articles and works of fiction, her education and writing career have taken her to Montreal, Italy and New York. She now lives in Rome with her partner and two children.

Megan Williams' profile page

Alessandro Vallecchi's profile page

Maddalena Vallecchi Williams' profile page

While the lively text provides information on another culture, sidebars placed strategically on some pages provide additional facts on the Swahili language, the animals, and the nomadic peoples who reside in the area. The photographs are colorful and clear, helping readers visualize the region and encouraging close examination. Through relating her special trip, Maddy paints vivid images of what she was lucky enough to have experienced.

School Library Journal

Telling the story in the first person allows Maddy to share her feelings about what she is experiencing.

CM Magazine

[Maddy's Amazing African Birthday] is a much-appreciated departure from the traditional foreign country non-fiction books offered for this age group. It will make you wish you had an Uncle Alessandro of your own!

Kutztown University Book Review