Elephant Adventure - Willard Price

Published by Knight Books/Hodder and Stoughton Ltd.: London, England, 1980 (1969).
First published 1964.
Book 7 in the 'Adventure' series. Preceded by 'African Adventure.' Followed by 'Safari Adventure.'

In the previous book, African Adventure, Hal and Roger had arrived with their father in Africa, searching for animals to sell to zoos around the world. Elephant Adventure sees the brothers still in Africa, and now looking for - wait for it - elephants! The brothers, along with their two closest African employees Joro and Toto, are now in the area known as the Mountains of the Moon, interacting with the 'tallest people in the world' (the Watussi) and the 'shortest people in the world' (Pygmies). 

As is par for the course in this series, there are local customs to acknowledge (but, in true 1960s fashion, to then ignore), different local fauna and flora to discuss, and a villain to face off against. The villain this time is a mysterious figure wreathed in superstition, whom the locals think is somehow attached to the mountains and the elephants. As the book progresses, this individual is revealed to be a slavetrader, and the fact that he gets away with selling a number of youth from the local village is quite an horrific plot point!

As usual, parts of the story (particularly the boys' job) do feel dated, and other parts are mildly horrific (there is still a casual attitude to death and mutilation in the series), and yet the stories are also interesting enough to keep me reading, as well as informative enough to feel educational.

Completed 8 November 2026.



(Adventure Series)

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