Would you like to take a virtual multi-country expedition to observe wild animals in their natural habitats? Join 12-year-old Armando and 75-year-old Granny D on a wildlife photography race around the globe in Armando and the Amazing Animal Race. Enter to win a copy signed by author Diana Schaffer, along with a themed prize bundle and a $50 Amazon gift card!
My Review:
Building on the author's incredibly profound international travel experience and extensive research, Armando and the Amazing Animal Race presents a fast-paced, exhilarating and eye-opening adventure that passionately promotes the protection of wildlife and the natural environment their survival depends on. It's also a heartwarming story delving into the value of family, friendship and teamwork.
Armando's most unforgettable summer starts with his solo trip to his grandma's house in London, where he uncovers his mother's journal documenting her journey during the first Amazing Animal Race eight years ago. Determined to follow in Mom's footsteps, Armando teams up with Granny D to join the second race, which requires contestants to take photos of seven endangered animals in seven countries within seventy days. Besides unpredictable perils and challenges posed by Nature, the duo has to guard against their malicious or hostile competitors. What truth lies behind Mom's disappearance? What secret is Dad trying to keep? What is the generous but suspicious sponsor of the race really up to? There are so many questions that Armando needs answers for.
Weaving together mystery, suspense, action and adventure, the story takes readers on a wild ride around the world, introducing them to various endangered species, vastly different natural landscapes across multiple continents, as well as indigenous people and culture. Though being a work of fiction, the book is loaded with valuable real-life knowledge regarding global travel, wildlife conservation, environmental protection, and sustainable development. It speaks to environmentally conscious and responsible readers, inspiring them to stand up for environmental justice.
Part of the story's charm lies in its well-developed characters, primarily Armando and Granny D. While Armando grows significantly in his courage, confidence and compassion during the expedition, his dashing, energetic, and humorous grandma instructs him to stay positive, be kind, and always try to look for the good in people and things. The depiction of their intergenerational relationship is delicate and dynamic.
With middle graders as the target audience, the book is neatly organized into short chapters with titles that accurately and succinctly summarize the main idea. The smooth and engaging storytelling style further enhances its accessibility. Pictures are also provided to help young readers visualize objects and documents that are important to the understanding of the story. The book concludes with interesting questions that facilitate discussions both at home and in a classroom setting. The author also takes the time to share her writing process and the messages she intends to deliver through Armando's adventure.
Creatively crafted and informatively illustrated, Armando and the Amazing Animal Race is a fascinating book that any adventure enthusiast, avid environmentalist, or wildlife lover doesn't want to miss.
About the Book:
Ages: 8-12 | 350 Pages
Publisher: Sea Otter Press (2025) | ISBN: 978-1-0690795-1-0
Two unlikely teammates on a grueling continent-hopping race. Their mission: to photograph 7 endangered animals in just 70 days… and solve a baffling family mystery.
When twelve-year-old Armando stumbles on his mother’s old race journal and convinces his wacky grandmother to join the Amazing Animal Race—the same race his mother disappeared on eight years earlier—his summer explodes into a wild global adventure. Armed with night vision goggles, bear spray, and support from his tech-savvy friend Jinny, Armando faces a charging polar bear, poachers’ bullets, and ruthless rivals as he races across the icy Arctic to the steamy Amazon rainforest. What starts as a race to help endangered animals and the environment spirals into a treacherous quest to unravel a mystery that will change Armando’s family—and his life—forever.
Packed with thrilling action, laugh-out-loud moments, and unforgettable characters, Armando and the Amazing Animal Race takes readers on a whirlwind journey of self-discovery across the globe. This heart-warming tale of family, mystery, and wildlife conservation will inspire adventurers, both young and old, to see the world and themselves in a whole new light.
Purchase links: Amazon | Barnes and Noble | Bookshop.org
About the Author:
Diana Schaffter is no stranger to adventure. She is fluent in Thai, has traveled to over fifty countries, raised her two sons overseas, and lived in seven countries in Asia and Eastern Europe for forty-two years, including two years in Pyongyang, North Korea, where her husband was the head of the UNICEF office. Diana has worked with Cambodian refugees, taught in international schools, opened schools in Thailand and Vietnam, and has been an educational consultant to non-governmental organizations and the Ministry of Education in Laos.
In researching her story, she followed in the footsteps of her main character, Armando, traveling to Southern India to search for wild cobras with the Irula tribe, to Vladivostok, Russia, to see a Siberian tiger with a local conservationist, to the home of the elusive desert leopard in the Judean desert in Israel; and into the thick Brazilian Amazon rainforest to visit an Indigenous tribe and to photograph a pied tamarin monkey. Wherever she has lived, Diana has witnessed the power of human resilience, cooperation, and caring, which inspires her writing. Diana and her co-adventurer husband, Tim, now live in Sidney, BC, Canada, where she continues to write, give talks in schools and communities, and work with young people.
For more information, visit: dianaschaffter.com. Follow Diana on Instagram, Facebook and Goodreads.
One lucky Grand Prize winner will receive an exclusive adventure-themed prize pack!
It includes:
- A signed paperback or hardcover copy of Armando and the Amazing Animal Race!
- A themed T-shirt,
- A set of vibrant stickers featuring all seven endangered animals from the story,
- Three beautifully illustrated maps, and
- a $50 Amazon gift card.
Five additional winners will each receive a signed paperback copy of Armando and the Amazing Animal Race!
Giveaway ends 6/13. Open internationally. Please enter below. Good luck!
Disclosure: This post is sponsored by Diana Schaffter. All views and opinions expressed are my own. icefairy's Treasure Chest is not responsible for winner selection or prize fulfillment.
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