Evangeline Mudd and the Golden-Haired Apes of the Ikkinasti Jungle
ISBN: 0763618764
Format: Hardcover, 196pp
Pub. Date: March 2004
Publisher: Candlewick Press
Age Range: 7 to 10
Learning to swing from the rafters, eating peanut-butter sandwiches with her feet . . . Evangeline Mudd has had an unusual childhood. Her primatologist parents have taken their child-rearing cues from the golden-haired ape, whose resourceful and fun-loving lifestyle they deeply admire. But life takes a drastic turn when Evangeline's parents are called away from their cozy New England bungalow on a research trip to the Ikkinasti Jungle. And when they mysteriously fail to return, it's up to Evangeline to travel to Ikkinasti and find them herself! In this comical, fast-paced tale, David Elliott ventures deep in the jungle for some close encounters with giant spitting spiders, a crazed developer, a retired headhunter, some persistent primates, and an impressively plucky heroine.
Hold on to the chandeliers! An eccentric couple's passion for primates leads their dauntless daughter on a wild adventure in this offbeat illustrated novel.
AWARDS & ACCOLADES
"Evangeline Mudd is a lucky little girl: raised by primatologist parents in the fashion of the gentle and remarkable golden-haired apes, she grows up swinging from chandeliers, utterly and completely secure." -Kirkus Reviews
"There are some lovely, imaginative touches in this entertainingly improbable tale. . . Ecological themes, humor, intriguing characters, and touches of absurdity should appeal to youngsters with burgeoning social consciences." -School Library Journal
The "madcap adventures will appeal to kids with a taste for silliness, as will Wesson's sprightly illustrations. Elliott's wry asides to readers and his penchant for goofy names add to the tale's good-natured nonsense." -Publishers Weekly
"Elliott's writing is light and funny, with much attention to gigglicious wordplay and over-the-top caricatures." -The Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books
-Maine State Book Award Nominee
-Thai edition
© 2005 David Elliott