Adventures of Riley: Dolphins in Danger
Adventures of Riley: Mission to Madagascar
Eaglemont Press, 2005

When you’ve got the Smithsonian Institution, the Wildlife Conservation Society and the World Wildlife Fund all endorsing a new series for kids, a die-hard environmentalist like me takes notice.

Combining drawings along with photographs, the illustrations have living texture to them; it’s kind of like watching television. The depth, motion, and composition of each page are truly a feast for the eyes.

Fortunately for readers, the visual strength is matched with a friendly story line. Riley, a redheaded nine-year-old boy, travels around the world, usually with his Uncle Max, Aunt Martha, and Cousin Alice. In each book, they are joined by real-life experts, who offer facts about the local environments in boxes scattered throughout the book.

Dolphins in Danger shows Riley surfing, snorkeling and learning about the marine mammals. Out on a boat, they see Spinner dolphins in the lagoon when they should be in the open sea. While the adults are trying to figure out what to do, Riley goes surfing and ends up getting rescued by a dolphin that is still stranded. Finally, the Tahitians help them by using a long hukilau net and they gently herd the dolphins back to sea where they can feed.

In Mission to Madagascar, Riley is both excited and scared of the big bugs like hissing cockroaches and the unfamiliar noises of the rainforest. In the jungle they see black and white ruffed lemurs, painted mantella frogs, leaf tailed geckos, Parson’s chameleon and many more creatures Riley had never seen. His group was looking for aye-ayes, a creature once thought to be extinct. Aye-ayes’ are nocturnal and when the group goes out at night to film them, Riley gets spooked. In a sweet twist, they all see an aye-aye and Riley has another adventure to share with his friends back home.

Each book provides information on geography, flora and fauna and the cultures of the people. Glossary’s provide further explanations of terms such as nocturnal and migrate. Maps show where in the world Riley goes and the series is supported with a website, www.adventuresofriley.com for even more information.

Though these are written as children’s books, anyone reading about Riley’s adventures will learn something. They may also want to take action, try a new food, or swim with dolphins. It’s a rare book that can truly make a difference in a child’s life; Adventures of Riley definitely will.