cover image Mystery of the Troubled Toucan

Mystery of the Troubled Toucan

Lisa Travis, illus. by Adam Turner. WorldTrek, $5.99 paper (126p) ISBN 978-1-936376-24-7

This sixth installment in the Pack-n-Go Girls Adventures series, mystery chapter books featuring young heroines from around the world, transports readers to the Amazon rainforest. After nine-year-old Sofia Diaz’s parents announce that they are separating, her father takes her with him from their home in Miami on a trip to Brazil. Though Sofia is brooding over this recent development and wondering whether her father will continue to be a part of their lives, the sights of Brazil distract her from her pain. She soon meets a girl her age, Júlia Santos, whose passion for protecting the rainforest animals from poachers and other threats proves infectious. After the girls discover pink dolphins called botos that have been tied up by poachers, they attempt to find out who is responsible. Travis writes clearly and engagingly, infusing the story with information about conservation and the rainforest, as well as Portuguese vocabulary (a glossary is included). Turner’s b&w cartoon spot illustrations do a fine job of capturing the local flora and fauna, while tapping into the unfolding mystery and the camaraderie between the girls. Ages 6–9. (BookLife)