Review sponsored* by Ayyappan R. Nair
The Children’s Book Review | July 3, 2018
Written by Ayyappan R. Nair
Age Range: 10-14 years old
Paperback: 520 pages
Publisher: Ayyappan R. Nair (2018)
ISBN: 978-1981080205
What to expect: Science and technology, artificial intelligence, aliens, time travel
In To the Sacred Valley with Koko,author Ayyappan R. Nair tells the story of two life-like monkey robots named Bolo and Koko that are to star in an upcoming, blockbuster film. When the monkeys are mysteriously destroyed, the scientist in charge of creating them finds himself at the center of an otherworldly mystery.
Bolo’s lifeless robot body lies on the floor and Koko has disappeared from the lab where he was created. After reviewing the security tapes James, the head scientist, discovers that Koko has been inhabited by an alien life form. Much to his chagrin, James hasn’t been able to find Koko and his security tape of the transformation has also disappeared. After some crafty maneuvers, Koko arrives at the home of young Ankit, who is the only human that Koko has chosen to show himself to. Koko tells Ankit that he has come to Earth with several hundred other aliens to study humans and their life on Earth.
As Koko’s story unfolds, side storylines in the book include the study of single-celled organisms, human effects on the environment, genetics and DNA sequencing, among many other scientific topics. Ankit’s science teacher provides much information on these and other topics, which help Ankit decipher the mysteries surrounding Koko and his arrival on Earth.
This exciting novel will be sure to keep readers enthralled while they learn about all sorts of scientific and technological facts. The fantastical aspects of the story—including aliens and time travel—will keep readers interested and give them avenues to apply their newly found technical knowledge. The in-depth, yet age-appropriate, discussion of scientific concepts informs the story and provides a depth of understanding while also broadening readers’ interests and knowledge.
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About the Author
Dr. Ayyappan R. Nair, Ph.D., Heads Discovery Biology at DavosPharma, USA. In his prior life, he worked in academia as faculty in Amrita University (India) and held various positions in industry including, Anthem Biosciences (India), Bayer Healthcare (USA), Berlex Laboratories (USA), and Tranzyme Pharma (USA). Dr. Nair received his Ph.D. in molecular and cellular biology from Ohio University and was a post-doctoral fellow at the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, and the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill. He has published several research articles, and filed patents in the areas of molecular biology, oncology, drug discovery, and biology related technologies. He lectures in colleges and in schools and conducts science workshops for children to promote science in a way that is fun, and easy to learn. The workshops are a huge hit with the kids. It is this interest in education that prompted him to start writing a book series to communicate modern concepts and developments in the life sciences and medicine using ‘mystery fiction’ as the hook to initiate interest in reading the book. This book, ‘To the sacred valley with Koko’, his first, is possibly the first of its kind that discusses science in the context of mystery fiction. ‘To the sacred valley with Koko’ is meant for children between the ages of eleven, and thirteen years. It would also interest teachers, and parents of that age group.
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