Armando's Island

ARMANDO'S ISLAND stands strong and proud in the long wake of this classic picture book. It offers just as much allure and emotional depth while informing and inviting participation by the reader in important decisions about the preservation of the rainforest. In this case, the animals speak only through their compelling expressions and natural impulse to seek survival within a shrinking habitat. Armando is wide awake to the reality of what is being offered to him and what the consequences of his choices would mean. This new offering, like Cherry's more fanciful account, is informational fiction at its best.

–Sandy Brehl, Unpacking the Power of Picture Books, 08/02/2023

This lushly illustrated modern fable beautifully captures the layers of life in the rainforest and the reasons people want to deforest that area -- for farming, for cattle ranching, for securing water supplies, for mining precious minerals. Armando's life is portrayed as simple and dependent on the forest. He shelters from the rain under large leaves; he gathers food to eat from the forest and has no need for a city or a store; he befriends the animals of the jungle who give him music and color and amusement. He recognizes that he is rich because he has all he needs. The poetic cadence of the text and the repetition of sentence structure make this a wonderful read-aloud book and a text that young children will easily follow. In addition to learning about the different animals and layers of the forest, readers will also begin to grasp the directions -- north, south, east, and west, start to understand how human commerce and economy can "undo" the web of nature and life, and have an introduction to metaphor -- Armando does not live on an island, but his land is an island of safety for wildlife. Highly recommended for personal and school libraries.

–Children's Literature, 04/08/2024