Author: Rebecca Merry Murdoch and Isabelle Iglesias (no websites found)
Publisher: Bark and Howl Press Ltd
Rating: WORTHY!
Artist: Muhammad Tauhidul Iqbal Sampad
DISCLOSURE: Unlike the majority of reviews in this blog, I've neither bought this book nor borrowed it from the library. This is a "galley" copy ebook, supplied by Net Galley. I'm not receiving (nor will I expect to receive or accept) remuneration for this review. The chance to read a new book is often enough reward aplenty!
Not to be confused with Wild Cats Volume 1 by Jen Weston (which I haven't read), this is a children's book designed to heighten awareness of the plight of threatened species on Earth namely (in this case and in the case of this planned eight-volume series), the wild cats. In the series, Suki and Finch will travel around the Globe. They're two young teens who have been lucky enough to be selected to study and catalog threatened wild cat species across the world. Yes, it's a bit unlikely given that they have no training and are doing this alone, but it's a kids book for goodness sakes! Anything can happen!
They set off for the north-west USA and eventually head into Canada and the great white north! On the journey they pick up a couple of associates in the form of Tip the lynx and Screech the falcon, both of whom, despite their smart-mouthing each other, decide to accompany the pair on their travels.
The journey isn't an easy one. It takes a long time and they have issues - issues you wouldn't expect in a children's book of this nature. For example, they're chased out of a cabin by a very aggressive man who owns the place and has no time, evidently, for children, not even ones on such a noble mission. Finch has a night-time sleep issue with which many younger children might be familiar - and I'm not talking about nightmares. This causes a fight between him and Suki.
Both the kids look like they're borderline under-nourished (a condition which held before they embarked on this trip!). I think this appearance was rather uncalled for, but that aside, and keeping in mind the surrealism of their adventure (they break the fourth wall more than once!), the story was fun, fascinating and engrossing. The humor was great, and the kids' dedication to their mission, despite problems and a bout of home-sickness, is commendable.
I recommend this book. There are so many problems with planet Earth that it's hard to know where to start, and it's worse to not start because of such paralysis. In the end, the problems we have created are going to have to be solved by our children and their, because let's face it, we adults are doing diddly right now. I think this book is a great start in addressing one of those problems - species decimation caused by we greedy, blind, and careless humans.
