“Giving up on the tree, she sat close by me… I knew then that I had a friend and a protector in this vast wild land.”

At five years old, Maasai boy Saitoti Ole Morijoi loses his way from his village in Kenya’s Maasai Mara and spends five days alone in the wild.

A wild lioness follows him, sleeps beside him, and seems to protect him from other dangerous animals. Years later, Saitoti is a naturalist and safari guide, telling this true story and what it taught him about animals, his people, and survival.

Narrated by Maasai naturalist and safari guide Saitoti Ole Morijoi, The Boy and the Lion is a nonfiction childhood survival story set in the plains, forests, rivers, and conservancies around the Mara River. The story gives readers clear, first-hand insight into animal behavior, Maasai cultural traditions, and the geography and ecology of the Maasai Mara, while exploring themes of nature, truth, survival, and conservation. Ideal for middle-grade readers and up, families, and classrooms.