A truly enlightening journey of discovery.
Inherently curious and inquisitive, children are often enthusiastic about learning new things. From lychees to lemurs, the fauna and flora of Madagascar are fascinating and exotic, offering delightful possibilities for youths and nature-lovers to consider. Throughout the thoughtfully designed book Mr. Robert’s Madagascar, we have the opportunity to discover this unique land right alongside the first European explorer to encounter its lush landscape, Diogo Dias. Fictional excerpts from the logbook of this Portuguese explorer, complemented by beautiful artwork and interesting notes about this remarkable island nation, make up the bulk of the book. To enhance the learning experience, a glossary of unfamiliar words is provided, and many of the pages include a ClueQ, which is a question that encourages early readers to benefit further from the information through reading comprehension.
The first thing that stands out about this informative picture book is the enticing design. From the aged page backgrounds that subtly mimic a vintage historical journal to fonts and artwork that imply antiquity, the author has given careful attention to providing an attractive layout and style that will appeal to young readers. It is clear that the various plants and animals featured in Mr. Robert’s Madagascar have been carefully chosen and well-researched, offering a truly enlightening journey of discovery to everyone that visits Madagascar through the pages of this illuminating book. I especially enjoyed the Curator’s Notes, which provide brief but educational details about the wildlife, and I was also surprised to find that a book intended for a younger audience features a few subjects that were entirely new to me, like the carnivorous, cat-like Fossa. Through the journal entries of Diogo Dias, Robert Bullock adds adventure and excitement to his presentation of many endemic species found in this remote part of the earth. Unleash your imagination by embarking on Dias’s vessel as it approaches Madagascar in Mr. Robert’s Madagascar, a book that kids will want to peruse over and over again.
