“We’ve let the river take us
To our sides the green walls rise up into the sky
Behind the screen we catch glimpses of emerald halls within
At last, the wild rush of adventure has begun.”
William, age 11, loves The Lost Book Of Adventure. It fuelled his entire Christmas last year as he asked for all the things he would need for heading off on an expedition. He now has his own pen knife, a survival tin, fire lighting kit and wild camping gear. He is read for his very own adventure. The book inspired him to learn knots and build dens in the garden. He has learned to cook on a fire and loves to read books about other’s expeditions and explorations.
Imagine his delight when Journey To The Last River was presented to him.
Journey To The Last River is an incredible story of adventure deep in the Amazon rainforest that began with the discovery of a lost map.
We join the unknown adventurer and his partner Bibi as they journey deep into the rainforest in search of the last river. They fly from Manaus into a jungle village where they prepare together for the expedition ahead. Through the first pages of this book we see the original map and the sketched out kit list of the adventurer. This wonderfully immersive book places the reader at the scene with the adventurer and Bibi. We see how they pack their canoe ready to head on the river deep into the jungle.
The book is their diary, their record of their expedition. There are narrative entries detailing thoughts and feelings and what happens each day. There are colour pictures of the habitats they travel through and labelled diagrams of the creatures they discover and see. From giant otters to freshwater stingray, goliath bird-eating spiders to black piranhas.
Through the journal we see how the pair set up their camp, what and how they eat. This is a dangerous expedition. There are encounters with black caiman and mosquito worms! It is also a tale of awe and wonder, how the colour of the river water tells of its path through different geologies and how the pair make friends with a squirrel monkey. They call him Nutkin.
This is such an inspiring read, filled with suspense and danger, filled with a real sense of awe and wonder, and respect for the natural world. We have learned so much about the flora and fauna of the Amazon, the make up of the jungle and features of the rivers.
The narrative writing is stunning in places. Rich poetic descriptions give a the reader a real sense of being in the rainforest, feeling the emotions that the adventurer is feeling. It helps us begin to understand the physical, mental and emotional strength and resilience needed to embark on such a mission.
William and I love the mix of beautiful colour pencil illustrations, maps, diagrams, sketches and lists that make up the animal nibbled pages!
There is so much in this fascinating journal.
If you have a curious little explorer, a young one that dreams of adventure, a map maker, a secret keeper, a nature protector, an artist, a little reader with a wanderlust heart, one with a mind for discovery then they need to read this book and you do too.
And if you do choose to read this incredible journal, you too will become a guardian of the Last River and you will not regret it.
“I have heard the howls of the jungle night
I have walked beneath canopies pierced by the light
But above all this
I have seen Life’s living quarters
I have touched the Land of Many Waters”
We were sent a copy of the book in exchange for our honest review