Tuki and Moka: a tale of two tamarins

In this adventurous addition to the Tales of the World series, Young (A Pet for Miss Wright) takes readers to Ecuador, where a boy named Eduardo and his castanero father hunt for Brazil nuts to be sold at market. Eduardo is accompanied by Tuki and Moka, a pair of playful wild tamarins (small monkeys); during their travels, father and son notice several other native animals, including macaws, a tapir, and a large rodent called an agouti. One morning, Eduardo discovers that the macaws' tree has been cut down, the birds likely stolen by animal traffickers; at the market, he learns that the traffickers have also taken the two tamarins, and he attempts a risky rescue. Young includes many details about Eduardo's life in Ecuador, including the reality of animal trafficking, although the dialogue can be overly expository ("Brazil nut trees grow only in the rainforest and there are no roads here," the boy tells his father). Madsen's (Marvin Makes Music) illustrations are well-suited to the drama of the story and its lush setting, his craquelure-textured images glowing with light filtered through the rainforest trees. Ages 6-10. (Aug.) (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.

Travelling with his father and his two tamarin friends into the rainforest to gather Brazil nuts, young Eduardo is the hero of this Ecuadorian adventure as he discovers animal traffickers and eventually foils their plot. Realistic details flesh out the captivating setting, as do the colorful illustrations, though their digitally enhanced look is glossy. An author's note discusses animal trafficking and rainforest interdependence. (c) Copyright 2014. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

When animal hijackers capture his favorite tamarins, a young boy living near the Amazon rain forest in Ecuador comes to the rescue in this latest in the Tales of the World series. Traveling by river to their camp in the rain forest, Eduardo and his father earn their living as castaeros, gathering heavy pods from Brazil nut trees and chopping them to collect the nuts. Eduardo has bonded with two playful tamarins called Tuki and Moko and a family of scarlet macaws that nest near the camp. The morning Eduardo and his father return to town with a boatload of nuts, they find the macaws, Tuki and Moko missing. Eduardo's father suspects animal poachers. When Eduardo arrives at the town market, he follows the sound of familiar chattering into a tent where he discovers Tuki, Moko and macaws in cages and must use his wits to free them. With its pedagogical focus, the text touches on Brazil nut harvesting, unique rain-forest animals and rare-animal trafficking, and the author's note elaborates on each. Smooth, photorealistic illustrations appear digitally rendered and effectively capture the drama of the rain forest and its verdant flora and exotic fauna through an arresting use of light, shadow, color and perspective. This animal-poaching tale provides a purposive, engaging-enough introduction to Ecuador's rain forests. (author's note) (Picture book. 7-10)]] Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.

In this adventurous addition to the Tales of the World series, Young (A Pet for Miss Wright) takes readers to Ecuador, where a boy named Eduardo and his castañero father hunt for Brazil nuts to be sold at market. Eduardo is accompanied by Tuki and Moka, a pair of playful wild tamarins (small monkeys); during their travels, father and son notice several other native animals, including macaws, a tapir, and a large rodent called an agouti. One morning, Eduardo discovers that the macaws' tree has been cut down, the birds likely stolen by animal traffickers; at the market, he learns that the traffickers have also taken the two tamarins, and he attempts a risky rescue. Young includes many details about Eduardo's life in Ecuador, including the reality of animal trafficking, although the dialogue can be overly expository ("Brazil nut trees grow only in the rainforest and there are no roads here," the boy tells his father). Madsen's (Marvin Makes Music) illustrations are well-suited to the drama of the story and its lush setting, his craquelure-textured images glowing with light filtered through the rainforest trees. Ages 6–10. (Aug.)

K-Gr 4—Eduardo and his father are castañeros, traveling from their small town in Ecuador up the river to gather Brazil nuts in the Amazonian rain forest. The boy enjoys these trips despite the dangers and befriends some macaws and two playful tamarins, Tuki and Moka. One night, traffickers capture the colorful birds and furry mammals. Upon returning to their village, Eduardo sees the poachers ready to load the stolen animals onto a truck and manages to engineer an escape for them. This story would be best shared in a group setting where there is ample opportunity to discuss the ethics of animal poaching and when it is appropriate for kids to take matters into their own hands. Madsen's images capture the lush beauty of the South American locale, although the illustrations of the human characters have a CGI quality.—Grace Oliff, Ann Blanche Smith School, Hillsdale, NJ