Armando and the Amazing Animal Race Awareness Tour presented in partnership* with Diana Schaffter and The Children’s Book Review.
Buckle up for a global adventure as we launch the virtual book tour for Armando and the Amazing Animal Race by Diana Schaffter!
Set off on a breathtaking race across continents with twelve-year-old Armando and his spirited grandmother as they chase endangered animals, outwit danger, and unravel a long-buried family mystery. Bursting with heart, humor, and wild adventure, Armando and the Amazing Animal Race is a globe-trotting tale of courage, connection, and the surprising paths that lead us to the truth.
. . . fantastically engaging story. . . [Diana’s] writing is absolutely terrific, and I love Armando, who is such a wonderful protagonist, perfect for a Middle-Grade novel. The story of the race and Armando’s search for his mother as well as his renewed relationship with his father are so well drawn and authentic (super fun as well as poignant) The story’s environmental focus is wonderfully handled. . . All in all, you have something very special here.
—Jennifer Rees, Editor, Explorer Academy series, National Geographic
Readers who join us on this tour can enter the giveaway below for a chance to win a copy of Armando and the Amazing Animal Race signed by Diana Schaffter! In addition, one lucky grand prize winner will also receive an exclusive adventure-themed bundle that includes a themed T-shirt, a set of vibrant stickers featuring all seven endangered animals from the story, three beautifully illustrated maps, and, to top it all off, a $50 Amazon gift certificate. Don’t miss your chance to win this one-of-a-kind prize pack that celebrates adventure, discovery, and the wild wonders of the world!
Armando and the Amazing Animal Race Virtual Tour Dates
| Tuesday, May 13, 2025 The Children’s Book Review Book Review of Armando and the Amazing Animal Race |
| Wednesday, May 14, 2025 The Starlit Path Book Review of Armando and the Amazing Animal Race |
| Thursday, May 15, 2025 The Fairview Review Book Review of Armando and the Amazing Animal Race |
| Friday, May 16, 2025 icefairy’s Treasure Chest Book Review of Armando and the Amazing Animal Race |
| Monday, May 19, 2025 Crafty Moms Share Book Review of Armando and the Amazing Animal Race |
| Tuesday, May 20, 2025 Mrs Makes Reading Fun Book Review of Armando and the Amazing Animal Race |
| Wednesday, May 21, 2025 Q&As with Deborah Kalb Author Interview with Diana Schaffter |
| Thursday, May 22, 2025 @the_conservationists_books Book Review of Armando and the Amazing Animal Race |
| Friday, May 23, 2025 Un viaje en libro Author Interview with Diana Schaffter |
| Monday, May 26, 2025 Froggy Read Teach Book Review of Armando and the Amazing Animal Race |
| Tuesday, May 27, 2025 @Bookish_Meaghan Book Review of Armando and the Amazing Animal Race |
| Wednesday, May 28, 2025 @wooldridgewanderers Book Review of Armando and the Amazing Animal Race |
| Thursday, May 29, 2025 My Reading Getaway Book Review of Armando and the Amazing Animal Race |
| Monday, June 2, 2025 ALWAYS in the MIDDLE Book Review of Armando and the Amazing Animal Race |
| Saturday, June 7, 2025 @nature.books.and.coffee Book Review of Armando and the Amazing Animal Race |
| Wednesday, June 11, 2025 @nissa_the.bookworm Book Review of Armando and the Amazing Animal Race |
Armando and the Amazing Animal Race Book Giveaway
Armando and the Amazing Animal Race: Book GiveawayAbout the Book
Armando and the Amazing Animal Race
Written by Diana Schaffter
Ages: 8-12 | 350 Pages
Publisher: Sea Otter Press (2025) | ISBN: 978-1-0690795-1-0
Publisher’s Book Summary: Two unlikely teammates on a grueling continent-hopping race. Their mission: to photograph 7 endangered animals in just 70 days… and solve a baffling family mystery.
When twelve-year-old Armando stumbles on his mother’s old race journal and convinces his wacky grandmother to join the Amazing Animal Race—the same race his mother disappeared on eight years earlier—his summer explodes into a wild global adventure. Armed with night vision goggles, bear spray, and support from his tech-savvy friend Jinny, Armando faces a charging polar bear, poachers’ bullets, and ruthless rivals as he races across the icy Arctic to the steamy Amazon rainforest. What starts as a race to help endangered animals and the environment spirals into a treacherous quest to unravel a mystery that will change Armando’s family—and his life—forever.
Packed with thrilling action, laugh-out-loud moments, and unforgettable characters, Armando and the Amazing Animal Race takes readers on a whirlwind journey of self-discovery across the globe. This heart-warming tale of family, mystery, and wildlife conservation will inspire adventurers, both young and old, to see the world and themselves in a whole new light.
“. . . a whirlwind of an environmentally minded tale. . .”
—KIRKUS REVIEWS – “OUR VERDICT: √ GET IT!”“. . .fantastically engaging . . . super fun as well as poignant. . .”
—JENNIFER REES, editor, Explorer Academy, National Geographic“. . . will resonate with anyone who yearns for adventure…”
—MIDWEST BOOK REVIEW
Buy the Book
About the Author
Diana Schaffter is no stranger to adventure. She is fluent in Thai, has traveled to over fifty countries, raised her two sons overseas, and lived in seven countries in Asia and Eastern Europe for forty-two years, including two years in Pyongyang, North Korea, where her husband was the head of the UNICEF office. Diana has worked with Cambodian refugees, taught in international schools, opened schools in Thailand and Vietnam, and has been an educational consultant to non-governmental organizations and the Ministry of Education in Laos.
In researching her story, she followed in the footsteps of her main character, Armando, traveling to Southern India to search for wild cobras with the Irula tribe, to Vladivostok, Russia, to see a Siberian tiger with a local conservationist, to the home of the elusive desert leopard in the Judean desert in Israel; and into the thick Brazilian Amazon rainforest to visit an Indigenous tribe and to photograph a pied tamarin monkey. Wherever she has lived, Diana has witnessed the power of human resilience, cooperation, and caring, which inspires her writing. Diana and her co-adventurer husband, Tim, now live in Sidney, BC, Canada, where she continues to write, give talks in schools and communities, and work with young people.
For more information, visit: dianaschaffter.com.
Thanks for following along with us on Diana Schaffter’s Armando and the Amazing Animal Race awareness tour!
143 Comments
This book takes you on an exciting adventure.
Sounds very exciting!
Join the adventure with Armando, Nancy, and travel around the world to solve a family mystery!
Do you have a favorite endangered animal?
I do have a soft spot for the Pied tamarin monkey because it is critically endangered, and its habitat is being destroyed at an alarming rate. We were lucky to have seen one. Also, the pied tamarin monkey dad takes care of the pied tamarin babies, which are often twins! sweet!
I’d love to see a hippo
I’d love to see a rhino
An amazing, fun adventure book
I’d love to hold an orangantan
What has been the most fortunate thing to happen to you since you started writing?
Connecting with such cool kids from around the world!!!
A fun and exciting book.
Sounds exciting.
I’d travel to Africa to find a rhino.
I’d love to see a Prairie Dog
I would go to Australia and try to find an endangered whale breed!
What has been the most interesting book you’ve ever read?
The Tiger by John Vailant!
An amazing, good, exciting story.
What was the best feedback you’ve gotten for your book?
Feedback from a boy who told his parents he hated reading but then read my book 3 times!!!
I’d like to see an eagle up close
We are fortunate to have a resident eagle in the small town, Sidney-by-the-Sea, where I live. He loves to spend the day perched on a pole overlooking the sea.
This sounds like the perfect suspenseful adventure mystery.
I’ve loved raccoons every since I was a kid. When I used to go camping, my parents would have to stop me from trying to get close enough to pet them lol!
Is there any part of your routine that you hate?
…spending too much time on the computer instead of being outdoors.
A very interesting mystery book.
Do you write in a daily journal?
I go in and out of writing a journal. However, when I do, I find that my writing moves to a much deeper level. Do you write a journal?
I’d love to see a white tiger
What was the most awe-inspiring book you’ve read?
We would be so excited to get this book.
I’d love to see a Toucan
If you could have a superpower that would improve your writing, what would it be?
The ability to focus!
The book cover is great.
Would my 4th grader be too old for this story?
Definitely not. Many 6th and 7th graders have LOVED the book!
An interesting, exciting book to read.
Great for young readers!
I would love to read about what happens. Very intriguing story!
I’d like to see a wolf up close
This sounds like the perfect suspenseful adventure mystery
I’d love to see a seahorse
I’d like to win because we love books about animals.
Fingers crossed you win! Good luck!
A fast pace exciting adventure book.
Fabulous story.
I’d like to hold a chimpanzee
Looks like a great book! That zebra is still on the loose in TN.
I’d love to see chimpanzees in the wild!
Yes, like Jane Goodall! I was fortunate to hear her talk in Vancouver a few weeks ago!
Nice prize, fun book.
I’d love to see a tripical macaw
This book sounds like an amazing story.
I’d like to see a giraffe up close
Do you get a little treat after writing?
Yes! Spending time outside in nature!
An exciting adventure for Armando.
I’d love to hold a lemur
My grandsons will love this fun read.
Have you ever won a giveaway?
This book sounds like a captivating story.
I’d love to see a bear cub
An exciting book that takes you on an unforgettable adventure.
What are your writing plans for this weekend?
Excited about this book!
I’ve always wanted a parrot
My grandson would be so excited to get this book.
I would help the dolphins because the are so beautiful and happy!
I’d love to see how fast a cheetah can run
This is an adventurous read my kids would love!
Thank you for the opportunity to win this prize for my grandson.
Fun read for my grandson.
Great book for kids