Ariki and the Island of Wonders

This is a delightful treasure trove of a story, which I enjoyed enormously. The gorgeous illustrations by Nicola Kinnear complement the story perfectly.Ariki is an apprentice Star Walker living on Turtle Island (having washed ashore as a toddler) with her Guardian, Arohaka and her mischievous pet pig, Bad Boy. She is a wonderfully carefree young girl who wants nothing more than to have fun and explore the ocean, for which she has a deep affinity.Adventurous and strong-willed, she decides to ‘borrow’ a boat so that she can go exploring with her best friend, Ipo and Bad Boy. Unknowingly, they sail into the eye of a storm, cast adrift for many days, until they eventually come ashore on an island.It is not long before she meets a castaway who has been living on the island with only the company of its incredible native species, including the wondrous Giant Bowerbirds who are vital to the survival of the island. Crusoe McRobinson is a fantastic character whose deep-rooted love of, and respect for, nature is obvious.However, the idyllic, peaceful island is being threatened by something non-native, and rather scary, which has the power to destroy the island. Can Ariki and her friends save the island?I loved Ariki! She is adventurous, quick-thinking and courageous with a wonderfully exuberant personality, and a real affinity and empathy for nature, with the incredible ability to communicate with animals through her thoughts.Whilst the story is a real celebration of the beauty and awe of nature, there is a timely warning that we cannot take it for granted. The underlying themes offer an excellent opportunity to explore what happens when non-native species are introduced to an environment and the impact this can have on the natural ecosystem, including threats to habitat and the danger of the extinction of native species.This is Ariki’s second adventure, with Ariki and the Giant Shark being published in 2018. I can’t wait to find out more about where Ariki has come from, and join her on further adventures. This is a perfect read for children of 7+.

My nearly 5 year old and I loved this second instalment of Ariki’s adventures. We loved all the characters, again Ariki is just the sort of girl my daughter would like to be - strong, brave and clever, but a little bit of a rebel too. Hoping there will be many more in this series!

Good copy and price .Came quickly

My seven year old daughter and i absolutely love reading Ariki's adventures. More please!

I am used to seeing Nicola Davies' name and drawings associated with picture books for both older and younger students, on an 'educational nature' theme. She creates beautiful but incredibly informative books that inspire and spread curiosity about the natural work.While this is in many ways quite different, a chapter book, and illustrated by another artist, the themes of respecting nature and showing interest in other species are both present.This is clearly the second in the series from the beginning, references are made to a previous book, but not having read it, I didn't feel I missed much. Ariki is a young girl bored with her interminable lessons on waves and constellations, desperate to get out onto the water she loves near her Turtle Island home.The spunky heroine will strike a chord to every reader bored with lessons and wanting to get out and play. And of course, she and her best friend (and pet pig Bad Boy) end up doing just that, managing to 'accidentally' take a boat out by themselves. But a storm blowing up means the three become lost and when finding an island, have no idea how to get home.But they aren't alone...New species as well as another lost mariner come their way as scientific curiosity takes the driving seat. Readers will enjoy the excitement of a few moments of danger, and seeing that Ariki's 'boring' lessons actually do have real-world significance and use.Ariki's friend and his unusual appearance as well as her own mysterious background and tattoos are both features of the plot, clearly marked out to continue in the next episode.With plenty of illustrations, the chapter format will appeal to newly confident readers who enjoy a longer story but who might be put off by something that is pure text.Morals about family, friends, community, learning and being at one with nature each share the stage. Ariki is a protagonist that any reader will enjoy following, and her heritage will incite curiosity.Can be read aloud or read alone, for ages 6-10.With thanks to Walker Books for providing a sample reading copy.