Book Review by John Davis

The Atlas Obscura’s Explorer’s Guide for The World’s Most Adventurous Kid, by Dylan Thuras and Rosemary Mosco; Workman Publishing: New York; $13.49, hardback: Available on Amazon

If I could give one gift to every kid I meet, it would be curiosity. A curious kid will always be happy. The entire world is there to explore, to research, and discover. Mighty adventures with dad and mom will burgeon into a lifetime of interesting quests and experiences. Here, in the highly praised ‘kid’s version’ of the magnificent Atlas Obscura guide, is The Atlas Obscura’s Explorer’s Guide for The World’s Most Adventurous Kid. That kid, I hope, is yours.

Dylan Thuras and Rosemary Mosco have teamed up to gather some 100 fascinating locations. Each location is a self contained wonder on its own. For instance, a man with the magnificent name Dashdondog Jamba came up with an idea to share knowledge in far away Mongolia. He saddled up a camel, and set out with loads of books to share with children across those distant plains.

Thuras and Mosco show how one man did this great service on his own. And in the course to explaining it, they reveal the land, the role of the camel, and how it all works together. They go on to cliff dwellings in Pitigliano, Italy, and mysterious Aogoshima Island in Japan, where a volcano sits inside the other which is the entire island! And that is just a taste of the wonders of imagination— from places like Norway, Tennessee, Iceland and the Antarctic—that this book will spark with your son or daughter.

What I found wonderfully imaginative is how the authors start as if you were really planning on visiting such places. They show equipment you’ll need from ‘the right clothes’ (after all, you might visit Russian Oymyakon, the coldest place on earth, or scuba down to the diver’s paradise of the Odyssey, sunk off Honduras to breed a great coral and fish preserve.) Don’t forget your altimeter, because Poland’s Wieliczka’s salt mines will take you down to carved underground wonders, while Bolivia’s Salar de Uyuni will take you to a hotel made entirely of salt on a dried ancient seabed in the mountains!

The wonders never cease, mainly because in addition to the clever and tempting explanations, there are truly gifted art works on every page by illustrator Joy Ang. Ang’s breathtaking skill reveals the showdown where two Greek churches fire rockets at each other on Easter. She brings cute penguins almost to life as visit discover South Africa’s Boulders Penguin Colony.

This collaborative effort will give any reader joy, and inspire real searches. Kids will find themselves encouraged, and shown that even though they are young, they will always be a part of any adventure they set their minds to. Imagine this. Can you see your own children asking, “When can we go on another adventure mom and dad? Here’s some ideas!”

This book opens the world to adventure, it is indeed a wonder.