Review: Adi’s Animal Adventures by Julie Schanke Lyford, Illustrated by Mariia Luzina

Adi’s Animal Adventures by Julie Schanke Lyford is a fun and informative illustrated book that shows the great importance of inspiring younger generations to respect nature. Through vibrant illustrations, easy-to-follow text, and fascinating info, this book offers a colorful and accessible guide to many animal species and the environments in which they thrive.

Adi’s public school is truly unique – it’s the home to over a thousand animals, and Adi and her team take care of many different specimens in an entertaining and wild day at school, revealing fascinating facts about the animal kingdom along the way. Did you know that octopuses have three hearts and are smart enough to open jars? Or that Sulcata tortoises can live over 150 years? There are chameleons, snakes, and chinchillas, and the students swim with giant turtles, tropical fish, and bamboo sharks every year.

Adi and the Critter Crew are in charge of land animals in particular – they need to make sure their enclosures are clean, the temperature is set, and the food is prepared. The school has a marine team as well, which takes care of fresh and saltwater tanks hosting fish and octopuses that live in an aquarium. Each species has its own special habitat and food habits, which the class must know to do the job properly and ensure that all animals live well under the school’s roof.

Lyford’s fluent and insightful writing, accompanied by the modern illustrations by Mariia Luzina, creates a good balance between each image and text, conveying factual information without overwhelming the reader. The drawings, warm and full of details, are very attentive to inclusiveness and diversity; this is a school environment that feels truly welcoming to everyone. Although the book focuses on animals and nature, rather than human characters, readers get a sense of this positive learning environment in which each student is comfortable to grow and experiment. Gender or racial stereotypes are fully averted thanks to the combined efforts of the author and the illustrator, which adds to the book’s remarkable positivity.

The amount of information in the book and the level of the illustrations allows the book to be enjoyed by all ages – from young children to young adults, which is rare for a children’s book. The text may be sparse for older readers, but younger readers can feel inspired by the characters, who seem to be pre-teenagers, without feeling too distant from them, while more experienced learners can identify with the characters without feeling patronized. Importantly, there is no interference from adults in this book; although it is clear that the students are guided in their education, they are allowed to care for the different creatures on their own, giving the book a message of shared responsibility, and never doubting the maturity of children.

A wonderful guide to nature and how to care for it, Adi’s Animal Adventures is an inspiring and important book for young readers, offering a vital message not only about the majesty of the animal kingdom, but also how people can work together to ensure its safety and longevity.