An adventure by kayak through the Solomon Islands, in the South Pacific Ocean and the third book in Annick Press' award-winning Adventure Travel series.

The Solomon Islands in the South Pacific Ocean are full of sharks, malaria, giant centipedes and crocodiles, and are also the home to lush jungle, beautiful cockatoos, waist-high orchids, and tropical butterflies.

Maria Coffey and husband Dag love to kayak. Their adventure begins in Honiara, the capital city of the Solomon Islands, where Maria and Dag first encounter Pidgin English and men with mouths stained red from chewing betel nuts and lime. They snorkel incredible reefs alive with the rich blues, greens and reds of hundreds of fish, coral and clamshells -- and the odd lagoon shark! During their travels, they visit Skull Island, which houses the heads of dead chiefs; they learn to cook traditional food like taro and cassava roots; they witness the incredible, huge leatherback turtles burying their eggs in the sand and making decoy nest holes to fool the local monitor lizards. They even get lost among small, remote, uncharted islands. Yet everywhere Maria and Dag go, the locals welcome them with generosity and kindness.

Ever wonder about giant fruit bats, what a bathroom in the jungle looks like or what are the top ten uses for coconuts? Sidebars recount fascinating cultural facts and information from around the Islands. Maps are dispersed throughout the text with spectacular photography, enabling the reader to follow the kayak along its journey. An index is included for easy reference.

FROM THE PUBLISHER

An adventure by kayak through the Solomon Islands, in the South Pacific Ocean and the third book in Annick Press' award-winning 'Adventure Travel' series.



The Solomon Islands in the South Pacific Ocean are full of sharks, malaria, giant centipedes and crocodiles, and are also the home to lush jungle, beautiful cockatoos, waist-high orchids, and tropical butterflies.



Maria Coffey and husband Dag love to kayak. Their adventure begins in Honiara, the capital city of the Solomon Islands, where Maria and Dag first encounter Pidgin English and men with mouths stained red from chewing betel nuts and lime. They snorkel incredible reefs alive with the rich blues, greens and reds of hundreds of fish, coral and clamshells -- and the odd lagoon shark! During their travels, they visit Skull Island, which houses the heads of dead chiefs; they learn to cook traditional food like taro and cassava roots; they witness the incredible, huge leatherback turtles burying their eggs in the sand and making decoy nest holes to fool the local monitor lizards. They even get lost among small, remote, uncharted islands. Yet everywhere Maria and Dag go, the locals welcome them with generosity and kindness.



Ever wonder about giant fruit bats, what a bathroom in the jungle looks like or what are the top ten uses for coconuts? Sidebars recount fascinating cultural facts and information from around the Islands. Maps are dispersed throughout the text with spectacular photography, enabling the reader to follow the kayak along its journey. An index is included for easy reference.

Author Bio: Maria Coffey and Dag Goering are a husband-and-wife team whohave traveled the world together, Maria writing about their adventures and Dag photographing them. Maria is the author of the popular Annick titles "A Seal in the Family" and "A Cat in a Kayak."



Debora Pearson is the author of the 'Mighty Wheels' series. She co-authored the first two books in Annick's Adventure Travel series: "52 Days by Camel: My Sahara Adventure" (1998) and "By Truck to the North" (1998). She was also the editor of the acclaimed "The TV Book" (1996). Debora lives in Toronto.

FROM THE CRITICS

Horn Book Guide

This unusual book stands out from typical assignment-oriented geographical fare.

Connie Fletcher

Goering vibrant photographs of orchids, crocodiles, fruit bats, Skull Island, ... perfectly fit Coffey's narrative.

Diane Olivo-Pasner - (School Library Journal, December 2000)

Fascinating travelogue ... Interesting sidebars ... Striking full-and double-page captioned color photographs ... Great to read just for fun.

Children's Literature

Where headhunters lived and crocodiles still abound, Maria Coffey and Dag Goering embarked on the adventure of a lifetime. We often read and hear stories about people who explored different regions of the world. Yet, too often they seem larger than life and their accomplishments are something we can only dream about. This is not true in the latest of the "Adventure Travel Books" by Annick Press. In a first hand account Maria Coffey not only tells the reader of her adventure in kayaking the Solomon Islands, but gives enough detail the reader feels included in the journey. The photographs taken by Dag Goering are wonderful. Their color and size bring Ms. Coffey's words to life. An especially interesting part of this book is the introduction where Ms. Coffey explains having to overcome a fear of water to undertake this journey. This beginning makes the book not only a fun adventure to follow, but also a testament to a person's ability to overcome obstacles. This book is recommended for just about any classroom because it is divided into manageable sections. In addition there are information windows with photographs that add to the overall attractiveness of this work. 2000, Annick Press, $14.95. Ages 6 to Adult. Reviewer: John D. Orsborn

School Library Journal

Gr 4-9-Encounters with sharks, giant centipedes, crocodiles, falling coconuts, and native peoples are detailed in this fascinating travelogue by Coffey and Goering, who kayaked through the Solomon Islands. Interesting sidebars answer questions about customs, school, transportation, and unusual animals of the region. Striking full- and double-page captioned color photographs accompany the text. Each chapter also includes a hand-drawn map that will enable readers to travel along with the adventurers. This is a book that will be great to read just for fun and it will serve as a terrific accompaniment to geography and social studies lessons.-Diane Olivo-Posner, Long Beach Public Library, CA Copyright 2000 Cahners Business Information.