Lost on Gibbon Island

by Jess Butterworth

The Last Bear meets The Life of Pi in this beautifully-written survival story set on a Cambodian island, following a ship-wrecked girl named Lark, and a baby gibbon who becomes her companion. Together, they must evade poachers and find their way home.

'If you're reading this, hopefully you've come to rescue me. My name is Lark Taylor, and I've been shipwrecked on an island. The last mainland I was on was Cambodia, miles and miles away from home...'

When Lark's mum takes her family with her on a research trip to Cambodia, Lark never expects that she'll end up stranded on a deserted island, with no one but a baby gibbon for company. But that's exactly what happens.

Lost and with no idea how to survive in the jungle, Lark must learn the ways of the wild from the gibbon.

And in return, try to help the gibbon find her way home ...

Genres: Fiction

263 pages, Kindle Edition

Published April 13, 2023

Reviews

[Rosh ~catching up slowly~ · Rating 4 out of 5]

In a Nutshell: A thrilling jungle adventure for middle-graders. Covers everything children will enjoy, and then some more!

Story Synopsis:

When twelve-year-old Lark accompanied her mother to Cambodia for a research trip, she never dreamt that she would be stranded on a deserted island with nothing but the clothes on her back and a notebook. All she has for company is a baby gibbon, whom she names Goldie. Lark has no idea how to survive in a tropical jungle. She uses her notebook to pen down her thoughts, her misgivings, and her daily tasks & adventures, hoping that the notebook would one day save her.
The entire story is written in the first person perspective of Lark writing her thoughts in the notebook.

Think back to your childhood. If you had to enjoy a jungle adventure story, what would you have liked the book to include?
😍 A fast-paced and thrilling storyline?
😍 A map?
😍 A courageous protagonist?
😍 Animals? Cute ones as well as wild and creepy ones?
😍 Lots of adventures: some funny, some scary?
😍 Survival techniques covering the quest for food, water, shelter, fire?
😍 Some villains?
😍 Some action sequences?

This book includes all these ingredients from traditional survival stories. To ensure that it fits perfectly into the contemporary experience, the book also covers:
👏 Plastic pollution in the oceans.
👏 Animal poaching and the importance of animal conservation.
👏 The bravery of environmental activists.
👏 Fun facts about gibbons.
👏 The importance of giving someone a second chance.
👏 The impact on the mind after a traumatic experience.

Lark makes for a wonderful main character. (Hurrah for a girl being the lead in a jungle adventure!) Her sincerity in maintaining her diary entries and her determination to use whatever she learnt in school to survive comes out well. Her bond with Goldie is the icing on the cake.

As the story is framed in the form of Lark penning her thoughts in the notebook, every page is designed like a notebook, with a pattern of various jungle fronds and other leaves bordering the page. It is delightful! The story sticks to the ‘diary entry’ format right till the end, making the whole experience feel genuine.

This does not mean that the book is flawless. Things are sometimes too convenient and sometimes too farfetched. But as this is middle-grade fiction, the exaggerated events are perfectly acceptable.

This is my first book by Jess Butterworth, and I would love to explore more of her works for my kids. (And for me!)

Definitely recommended to all middle-graders who would love to read an entertaining survival story set in the jungle.

🚩 Don’t miss reading the author’s note at the end!

4.25 stars.


My thanks to Hachette Children's Group and NetGalley for the DRC of “Lost on Gibbon Island”. This review is voluntary and contains my honest opinion about the book.



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[Tom Mooney · Rating 3 out of 5]

I liked this, though a little less than my kids did - they really enjoyed it!

It's largely well written and the central character is convincing, the whole thing has got a ring of Katherine Rundell about it, with its foreign location and sense of adventure. But I felt the pacing was a little off and I felt like she could have injected a little more nature and survival into the story. There are also some aspects towards the end that I found a little cringey. Still, it's a pretty good read.

[Tammy · Rating 5 out of 5]

A very strong 5 stars….. What a wonderful book, which touches on some very important issues, issues which myself as an adult hadn’t really thought about. The messages behind this book are serious ones, but the story itself is charming, and very interesting. I think the author really thought about,what it would be like, to be lost on an island alone. She caught the atmosphere very well, nothing was spoilt with silly jokes, it was all very real. I love books like this. Definitely a book children and adults can enjoy together.
Check out my longer review on my blog:
https://insidethecover356912439.wordp...

[Anna Davidson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another delightful read from Jess Butterworth. As with all of her books, this tale is action-packed with strong themes of environmental activism. I devoured this and can’t wait to share it with students.

[Anjana · Rating 4 out of 5]

There are books for children that glorify getting lost and other related scenarios. Since childhood I’ve had my fair share of such books and enjoyed them too. This is probably one of the first( I say one because I can’t think of another off the top of my head but am sure there must have been one other at least) that provides the dangers of being in danger without becoming too dark.

Lark’s mother is investigating a threat to Gibbons in Cambodia, a fact we learn later. What we do know when the book begins is that Lark is shipwrecked on a remote island with no food and water and only a baby Gibbon for company. She also has writing equipment, enough to document what amounts to our book.

Our protagonist struggles with basic survival requirements and we can see her learning curve that needs to be step enough for her to survive. The Gibbon helps her as much as possible in a normal animal fashion, with limited understanding of what human children need.

Surprising information is revealed as we watch the days go by. The entire story is also revealed as we reach an action packed ending. The content is not over the top and heartfelt. I may not have got too much information or feel for the conservation angle but the adventure was definitely one I can see my nieces appreciating.

I would definitely pick up another book by the author and recommend it to a younger audience.

I received an ARC thanks to Netgalley and the publishers but the review is entirely based on my own reading experience.

[Theediscerning · Rating 4 out of 5]

The obvious lesson of this read is that you damned well better pollute the oceans, because when you're stranded on a small jungle-covered island, you will need anything and everything that washes up. Lark is the girl ending up on an isolated island in Asian waters, with just her and a gibbon friend, and while she pieces things together, like a water source and food supplies, she is also writing in the notebook we're reading about how she ended up there – a bit of nastiness concerning Lark's journalist mother, in Cambodia to campaign for gibbons and against their poaching.

This is much less an eco-diatribe than you might be thinking, however, for it really is a good old-fashioned survival drama with new trappings. We know why plastic bottles and scraps of fishing net are fetching up on Lark's beach, and it's both refreshing to see the green mind put to a desert island kind of story yet the narrative still focused on the grit and drama of survival. OK, the flashbacks are presented a little clunkily as Lark's mental workings-out of what got her there, but even those don't cause any problem. With the added bonus that it's the murder of environmental investigators, journalists and campaigners at the fore of it all, as opposed to animals, this is really quite the distinctive read. A very healthy four stars, if not a full half above that mark.

[Tamsin · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a brilliant read that was completely absorbing from the first page!

Lark is 12-years old and has been on a research trip with her Mum in Cambodia when she is shipwrecked and washes up on an unknown island. We don't know exactly what has happened or why Lark was on her own, but through her diary we gradually read her tale of survival and bravery as she tries to find her way of the island. Her only company is a baby gibbon and as the story progresses we gradually learn more about the danger they are in from poaching and how Lark and her family have been involved in this.

I loved the settting of Cambodia and the descriptions of the island were lush and vivid. The diary format made an engaging read, learning what was going on at the same time as Lark. The balance of themes of adventure and conservation were well balanced and sensitve messages about poaching were delivered really effectively.

I can imagine a lot of adventure and animal lovers enjoying this story and definitely one for the library shelves!

[Maya · Rating 5 out of 5]

The story is told in a diary form through the eyes of 12 year old Lark who becomes trapped on a Cambodian desert island and only has a baby gibbon, Goldie, to keep her company. The relationship between lark and the baby gibbon is very touching. Lark uncovers a smuggling ring and she bravely takes on danger to save an entire species.

A great adventure story, you can feel the peril that these characters are in and there are twists and turns that keep the reader fully involved. Themes in this book include: animal smuggling and conservation. It is a very powerful and emotive story.

Biddulph’s illustrations compliment the whole story very well. Really lovely story, vocabulary would be good for LKS2 but the themes may be more suited to UKS2.

[Joanna · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was pleasantly surprised when I started reading this book. I had somehow imagined this book to be more advanced when I requested the book. To my pleasant surprise, it is a rather easy read, probably more suitable for LKS2 in terms of language. But some parts of the story might render the book more suitable for UKS2 students.

The story is about a girl getting stranded on an island with a baby gibbon. The bond between the girl, Lark and the baby gibbon, Goldie, is most endearing.

The book has a message about animal rights that is very neatly woven into the storyline.

All in all, it is a very nice read.

[Steph · Rating 4 out of 5]

This gave me proper explorer vibes! Exploring these islands from the comfort of my home is one of the best things! What gorgeous characters. Goldie is lush too. Taught me some things too! Loved the messages about helping to save the gibbons and giving people second chances. The illustrations were just gorgeous too!

[Jen Steele · Rating 5 out of 5]

Rory age 5
"I loved it because she loved Goldie so much and she had the determination to survive through the storms and it makes me feel more determined too."
Chester age 8
"I really liked all of it because it's adventurous and I like adventure stories. I liked Goldie best"

[Connor Meadows · Rating 4 out of 5]

Pretty good kids book - great conservation message and told in exciting ways! Great message at the end about therapy and peoples responses to exciting (and traumatising) adventures!

[Samfriday · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 stars - great adventure!

[Tamsyn · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.75
Really enjoyable, although not original.

I think my class enjoyed it more than I did, but it was a good read. Easy as s read aloud as the chapters are short so it can be squeased in.

[Rose Edwards · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lovely environmental book about saving a baby Gibbon ❤️ and how Goldie the Gibbon trusts her rescuer

[Méabh McGlone · Rating 4 out of 5]

It was very inspiring and descriptive

[Libraryliz · Rating 3 out of 5]

Ok

[Oliver Yates · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very good book it got me back into reading can’t say much more definitely recommend

[Geckos Class · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is a sensational story that every child should read. It's about a girl called Lark that gets shipwrecked on a remote, tropical Cambodian island. Can she find her other crew mates and rescue her gibbon companion, Goldie before it's too late? Read to find out.

[Rosie · Rating 1 out of 5]

felt like i was the characters therapist ngl

[Snarhooked · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.5* rounded up to 3.
A pleasant enough story but not one of my favourites.

I liked that it was a modern update to the 'stranded on an island' trope. Lark comes across so much plastic litter which will surely get young readers thinking about what we do with our waste. It could have done with the inclusion of a creature tangled up in plastic waste to highlight that danger.

I didn't like the main character so I wasn't invested in her survival. The storyline was wrapped up a little too easily considering the ordeal the characters had gone through and that their antagonists were adults.

I much preferred The Explorer by Katherine Rundell which I found to be more realistic and felt that more research had gone into it. That said, this is a much shorter book and I can see the appeal of that for younger or weaker readers.

[Nichola · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love Jess Butterworth books anyway and we use When the Mountains Roared in our classes as we love the characters and the fact it centres on animal conservation and issues and this is no exception. Really loved how it was written as a diary and the illustrations from Rob Biddulph are beautiful! The diary uncovers part of the story of how Lark became stranded on an uninhabited island with only a baby gibbon for company and it is a story of their relationship and co dependency as much as it is about her survival. She uncovers a smuggling ring and we learn all about the dangers faced by environmental reporters and the impact of animal smuggling on communities and the world. Already recommended to children in my class and I can't wait to get hold of my own copy.

[Kitchen Sink Books · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fantastic desert island story, I honestly learnt a lot and felt I was there too.

[Year 5 · Rating 5 out of 5]

It very interesting a bit like kenzukes kingdom