It may have been a cold and windy day in “South Africa” but the students at South Effingham Elementary didn’t seem to mind as they concluded their week-long Reading Safari with outdoor activities that included some very special guests.

Surrounded by a family of lions, two hippos, a giraffe, a couple of elephants and even a Jeep, students moved around the make-shift African plains listening to stories about wild animals and safari adventures.  Patsy Smith Roberts, famous wild life photographer and children’s book author, spent the afternoon in a tent reading her stories to each class as they came through.

Reading Safari was the theme for South Effingham Elementary’s Children’s Book Week celebration that took place Nov. 17-21.