Review sponsored* by Amberjack Publishing
The Children’s Book Review | June 7, 2016
Written by Carolyn Lunn
Illustrated by Ashley Rades
Age Range: 3-7 years
Hardcover: 28 pages
Publisher: Little Adventures (June 7, 2016)
ISBN: 978-0692582893
What to expect: Travel, Multiculturalism, Dreams, Nature
Tomas and the Galapagos Adventure is really two adventures in one: the reader first meets Tomas, a young boy who lives in Ecuador. What is unique about Tomas is that he spends his days riding his horse, Bonito, through the beautiful Ecuadorian countryside, rather than playing soccer or hanging out with friends at the mall. One day, while riding, a dog frightens Bonito and Tomas is thrown to the ground, where he hits his head hard and is knocked unconscious. Just when the reader believes herself to be reading the adventures of a young boy riding his horse through Ecuador, the unconscious Tomas has a second adventure!
Inside his dream, Tomas travels to the Galapagos Islands, where he encounters all manner of rich sea life. When he awakens, he hurries home to tell his mama of his adventures. Tucking him in to bed, Tomas’s mama discovers sea shells in his pockets, and wonders where they might have come from – leaving the reader to wonder if the Galapagos adventure was real after all!
Beautifully and colorfully illustrated by Ashley Rades, Carolyn Lunn’s story captures two very different landscapes with vivid detail and affection. Tomas’s adventures in the Ecuadorian countryside with his horse, and in the fecund seascapes of the Galapagos Islands, allows the reader to find an adventure-within-an-adventure, while also exploring the wilds of nature and a rich culture in the process.
Although it is done with admirable subtlety, Tomas and the Galapagos Adventure is finally an excellent tribute to naturalism, one that will give readers a very fine introduction to places on the earth that remain rich with abundant natural resources and that call out for preservation and protection.
A great, intelligent, and artful book – truly an adventure worth taking!
Add this book to your collection: Tomas and the Galapagos Adventure
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Read our exclusive interview: Carolyn Lunn and Ashley Rades Discuss Tomas and the Galapagos Adventure
About the Author
Carolyn Lunn is a Colorado author of seven children’s books, who is inspired to write by her two children and her world travels. She has taught English in Tokyo, was a nanny in Germany, and lived in England for nine years. When Carolyn is not writing, she is gardening, running, watching sports, making homemade pasta, or dog-sitting her children’s pups: Boursin, the puggle, and shelter dog, Osita.
About the Illustrator
Ashley Rades is an illustrator living and working in Minnesota. In 2016, she earned her B.F.A. in Illustration from the Minneapolis College of Art and Design. She is driven by her desire to tell stories and sees illustration as a powerful way to tackle big ideas. She plans on continuing to bring meaningful stories to life with her artwork.
Enter to win a copy of Tomas and the Galapagos Adventure, written by Carolyn Lunn and illustrated by Ashley Rodes.
Five (5) winners receive:
- A copy of Tomas and the Galapagos Adventure
Age Range: 3-7
Hardcover: 48 pages
Giveaway begins June 7, 2016, at 12:01 A.M. PST and ends July 6, 2016, at 11:59 P.M. PST. Enter here >>
Dedicated Reviews allow authors and illustrators to gain prompt visibility for their work. The publisher, Amberjack Publishing, of “Tomas and the Galapagos Adventure“sponsored* this non-biased review. Learn more about getting a book review …