What do you think?
Rate this book
FunJungle #10
Ape Escape
In the tenth novel in New York Times bestselling author Stuart Gibbs’s FunJungle series, resident sleuth Teddy Fitzroy is on the case to rescue an abducted young gorilla!
When a baby gorilla is stolen from an orphanage in Rwanda, Teddy, his parents, and an old family friend find themselves in a race against time to save it. Teddy has to piece together clues to figure out where the little ape is being taken while traveling through some of the most incredible—and dangerous—terrain in the world.
At the same time, he’s long-distance consulting with Summer to help solve another mystery back at FunJungle. Between facing down lions on the Serengeti and chasing poachers through the bazaars of Zanzibar, will Teddy be able to find the baby gorilla before it’s too late?
When a baby gorilla is stolen from an orphanage in Rwanda, Teddy, his parents, and an old family friend find themselves in a race against time to save it. Teddy has to piece together clues to figure out where the little ape is being taken while traveling through some of the most incredible—and dangerous—terrain in the world.
At the same time, he’s long-distance consulting with Summer to help solve another mystery back at FunJungle. Between facing down lions on the Serengeti and chasing poachers through the bazaars of Zanzibar, will Teddy be able to find the baby gorilla before it’s too late?
- GenresMystery
320 pages, Hardcover
Published March 24, 2026
63 people are currently reading
362 people want to read
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews
March 26, 2026
An exciting, fast paced caper that brings Teddy and his parents to Africa! This was a fun mystery, or should I say mysteries, as Teddy and his parents are searching for a stolen gorilla while his friends back at Funjungle are searching for the culprit in the case of missing ducklings. My family and I listened to the audiobook from start to finish today as we were driving from New York to Chicago. We all enjoyed it! And as a school librarian this series is one that hooks virtually every reader. Five stars!
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
FunJungle is one of my favorite series and this one took it to another level!
We follow Teddy and his parents to Rwanda! Some bad news takes them there but once there theybfeel something isn't right and start to investigate which takes them on an adventure to several regions/countries in Africa!
Love how the book warns about the danger, shows and names the wildlife, condemns poaching while also shedding light to the poverty of the people all while still keeping the story fun and exciting.
Also love that while Teddy wasnt around at FunJungle, he still kept in touch with Summer and was trusted to consult on a mystery there!
I had so much fun reading this and learning and love how confident and trusted Teddy has become in his small little community of animal lovers/workers. Stuart Gibbs did it again! I love this series 😍
We follow Teddy and his parents to Rwanda! Some bad news takes them there but once there theybfeel something isn't right and start to investigate which takes them on an adventure to several regions/countries in Africa!
Love how the book warns about the danger, shows and names the wildlife, condemns poaching while also shedding light to the poverty of the people all while still keeping the story fun and exciting.
Also love that while Teddy wasnt around at FunJungle, he still kept in touch with Summer and was trusted to consult on a mystery there!
I had so much fun reading this and learning and love how confident and trusted Teddy has become in his small little community of animal lovers/workers. Stuart Gibbs did it again! I love this series 😍
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
I feel like these books get better every time Mr. Gibbs writes a new one. I love all the animal facts he manages to stuff into the story while educating the reader without making it feel pedantic. He makes gorillas extremely relatable for his audience and there is no way not to root for Teddy to find the villain and take them down!
Teddy Fitzroy is just starting a new case at FunJungle, where baby ducklings are disappearing from the children's zoo pond. The ducks are not members of the zoo but a janitor notices their number declining and enlists Teddy to find out if someone is stealing them. However, before he can begin a proper investigation, Teddy's family receives news that a beloved family friend has died and they must journey to Rwanda for his memorial. During this journey, a baby gorilla is kidnapped by poachers and Teddy's family is on the case to track the missing ape and bring her home safe again.
It is a race across Africa to save the missing gorilla, through the Serengetti, across Tanzania and onto Zanzibar, all the while running from lions, wildebeest and angry bystanders. It's truly an adventure and a delightful one at that.
I strongly recommend these if you are fans of the FunJungle series already, or if this is the first one you start with. It's good to start at the beginning but this could be a standalone in terms of just the journey and plot itself. Absolutely thrilling for readers young and old.
My thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.
Teddy Fitzroy is just starting a new case at FunJungle, where baby ducklings are disappearing from the children's zoo pond. The ducks are not members of the zoo but a janitor notices their number declining and enlists Teddy to find out if someone is stealing them. However, before he can begin a proper investigation, Teddy's family receives news that a beloved family friend has died and they must journey to Rwanda for his memorial. During this journey, a baby gorilla is kidnapped by poachers and Teddy's family is on the case to track the missing ape and bring her home safe again.
It is a race across Africa to save the missing gorilla, through the Serengetti, across Tanzania and onto Zanzibar, all the while running from lions, wildebeest and angry bystanders. It's truly an adventure and a delightful one at that.
I strongly recommend these if you are fans of the FunJungle series already, or if this is the first one you start with. It's good to start at the beginning but this could be a standalone in terms of just the journey and plot itself. Absolutely thrilling for readers young and old.
My thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.
March 25, 2026
Ape Escape (funjungle #10) by Stuart Gibbs, 304 pages. Simon and Schuster, 2026. $18
Language: G (0 swears, 0 ‘f’); Mature Content: G; Violence: PG (animal abuse, some danger)
BUYING ADVISORY: EL, MS - ESSENTIAL
APPEALS TO: MANY
When Teddy’s family gets the news that a good friend, Jadim, of theirs has died in Rwanda, they head to the airport for the funeral. Instead, once they land, they find that he is in hiding because his life was threatened by gorilla poachers. When an orphaned baby gorilla is abducted right from the sanctuary, the family and Jadim head off across Africa in pursuit.
Gibbs does such a great job with his funjunge books - keeping a heightened sense of danger and adventure, while also including factually based information about the ways animals, in this any African animal, might be endangered.
Cindy, Middle School Librarian, MLS
Language: G (0 swears, 0 ‘f’); Mature Content: G; Violence: PG (animal abuse, some danger)
BUYING ADVISORY: EL, MS - ESSENTIAL
APPEALS TO: MANY
When Teddy’s family gets the news that a good friend, Jadim, of theirs has died in Rwanda, they head to the airport for the funeral. Instead, once they land, they find that he is in hiding because his life was threatened by gorilla poachers. When an orphaned baby gorilla is abducted right from the sanctuary, the family and Jadim head off across Africa in pursuit.
Gibbs does such a great job with his funjunge books - keeping a heightened sense of danger and adventure, while also including factually based information about the ways animals, in this any African animal, might be endangered.
Cindy, Middle School Librarian, MLS
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
In this 10th book of the FunJungle series, Teddy and his parents are in Africa investigating a suspicious death and stolen gorilla. Back home in Texas, Summer and Xavier are investigating the mysterious disappearance of ducklings from FunJungle. As much as I love the FunJungle series (and really everything by Gibbs), this book felt like it was combining two plots into one storyline, which made it less cohesive. The mystery in Africa could have easily been the one plot covered, rather than adding in the missing ducklings component. I kept thinking that the two plots would converge at some point and they never did, so why the need to include them both? Still, this was a fun, quick read, and is a good addition to the series. I also enjoyed the new setting in Africa.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
My 11 year old daughter and I have been flying through this series at the pace of a couple of books per week so we were very excited to discover that the 10th book was being released. We have read all of Stuart Gibbs' titles, and this series has hands down been our favorite. The combination of humor, mystery, problem solving and animals is a home run for her (she wants to be a veterinarian). The African setting in Ape Escape was her favorite part, It made her more curious about other parts of the world.
Thank you to Simon Kids and NetGalley for an eARC of Ape Escape. Publication Date: March 24, 2026.
Thank you to Simon Kids and NetGalley for an eARC of Ape Escape. Publication Date: March 24, 2026.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
I had never heard of this series until I saw this particular book! As someone who loves apes and the study of primatology, my attention went right to here even though this is a mystery about a kidnapped ape in Rwanda! I definitely would love to read the rest of this series! Great writing, storytelling and perfect for any ages and not just children.
December 9, 2025
Another great FunJungle mystery! Teddy and his parents head back to Africa, where they become embroiled in a Gorilla poaching plot. They chase the poachers from Rwanda, across the Serengeti, all the way to Zanzibar. Back home in Texas, Summer and Xavier are solving a mystery of their own. Highly recommended for grades 4 & up. It doesn't have to be read in order, but it's better if you do.
eARC provided by publisher via Edelweiss
eARC provided by publisher via Edelweiss
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
If you enjoy a good mystery and have a love of animals this is the book for you. Another installment in the FunJungle series will not disappoint. Keeping a gorilla safe and rescuing it from poachers will lead you on a wild ride rooting for the safety of all those involved.
March 27, 2026
I loved it! It wasn’t as great as the other ones though… I really liked the fake death plot twist, but there doesn’t seem to be as much action. I think the stolen duckling part was really boring, and definitely could’ve been made more interesting. Overall, though, it was great.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
I love this series! Teddy and the other characters are great. I loved the different location and the dual mysteries. Can't wait to check out the audiobook!
Review of advance copy received from Edelweiss+
E ARC provided by Edelweiss Plus
Teddy Fitzroy is investigating what is happening to ducklings in the zoo when his parents receive horrible news; one of their proteges, and a close friend of Teddy's, has been killed in Rwanda. It's thought that young Jadim Okenoyo has been killed by poachers, and the family drops everything and flies in for the funeral. Once there, they meet Lana, Jadim's girlfriend, who is taking care of an orphaned gorilla, Fuzi, and lets them know that Jadim faked his own death and is hiding in the mountains. When Fuzi is stolen and Lana is knocked out, the Fitzroy's decide to use Teddy's detective skills, as well as Summer McCracken's wealth, to get the animal back. While they travel to Lake Victoria and Tanzania, Teddy videoconferences with Summer to try to figure out what is going on with the ducklings. A park attendant, Orville, who is neurodivergent, has been counting the ducklings, and has noticed that they have gone missing. Video footage uncovers an unusual crocodile like animal, an endangered gharial, in the ponds. Since there aren't any officially at the zoo, Summer investigates how one came to be in the park. Meanwhile, Teddy and his family are on the trail of the poachers, and finally come across a group of men who were hired to kidnap Fuzi by a man named Bob. The poachers have few opportunities to make money, so have turned to crime. It's a dangerous mission which involves a lion attack, a car crash, and big containers of angry snakes. Will Teddy be able to find Fuzi and turn over the poachers to the authorities while also remotely saving cute little ducklings and their endangered predator?
Strengths: In my review of All Ears, I commented that I wouldn't mind a return to Fun Jungle, and Gibbs managed to give us a mystery set in the zoo while we also got to travel around Africa. Well done. The parents were brought in to the investigation in a realistic way, and I loved that Teddy's mother was considered a scientific rock star by many of the people they met. The group's ability to travel was funded by the McCracken's wealth, so they ddn't have to worry about chartering planes when necessary; I don't know why this detail made me so happy. As always, Gibbs uses his platform to draw attention to real world problems, in this case, the trafficking of exotic animals, whether living or dead. I appreciated that there is some understanding of what drives people to capture animals, and that Marge has become a nicer person. I would still like to spend a little more time back at FunJungle, so that Teddy and Summer could hang out together!
Weaknesses: The name Fuzi bothered me. Is it pronounced Fuzzy of Fuse-y? Foo-zee? I had to refer to the gorilla as Fern in my head. I also would not have minded a map of the Fitzroy's travels.
What I really think: I always think of Lillian Jackson Braun's The Cat Who mysteries when I read Gibbs' work; there were 29 books, and I read and loved them all. While most series languish on my library shelves, there are always students who are looking forward to Gibbs' new titles.
Belly Up (#1)
Poached (#2)
Big Game #(3)
Pandamonium (#4)
Lion Down (#5)
Tyrannosaurus Wrecks (#6)
Bear Bottom (#7)
Whale Done (#8)
All Ears (#9)- This post includes links to all of the previous reviews.
https://msyinglingreads.blogspot.com/...
Teddy Fitzroy is investigating what is happening to ducklings in the zoo when his parents receive horrible news; one of their proteges, and a close friend of Teddy's, has been killed in Rwanda. It's thought that young Jadim Okenoyo has been killed by poachers, and the family drops everything and flies in for the funeral. Once there, they meet Lana, Jadim's girlfriend, who is taking care of an orphaned gorilla, Fuzi, and lets them know that Jadim faked his own death and is hiding in the mountains. When Fuzi is stolen and Lana is knocked out, the Fitzroy's decide to use Teddy's detective skills, as well as Summer McCracken's wealth, to get the animal back. While they travel to Lake Victoria and Tanzania, Teddy videoconferences with Summer to try to figure out what is going on with the ducklings. A park attendant, Orville, who is neurodivergent, has been counting the ducklings, and has noticed that they have gone missing. Video footage uncovers an unusual crocodile like animal, an endangered gharial, in the ponds. Since there aren't any officially at the zoo, Summer investigates how one came to be in the park. Meanwhile, Teddy and his family are on the trail of the poachers, and finally come across a group of men who were hired to kidnap Fuzi by a man named Bob. The poachers have few opportunities to make money, so have turned to crime. It's a dangerous mission which involves a lion attack, a car crash, and big containers of angry snakes. Will Teddy be able to find Fuzi and turn over the poachers to the authorities while also remotely saving cute little ducklings and their endangered predator?
Strengths: In my review of All Ears, I commented that I wouldn't mind a return to Fun Jungle, and Gibbs managed to give us a mystery set in the zoo while we also got to travel around Africa. Well done. The parents were brought in to the investigation in a realistic way, and I loved that Teddy's mother was considered a scientific rock star by many of the people they met. The group's ability to travel was funded by the McCracken's wealth, so they ddn't have to worry about chartering planes when necessary; I don't know why this detail made me so happy. As always, Gibbs uses his platform to draw attention to real world problems, in this case, the trafficking of exotic animals, whether living or dead. I appreciated that there is some understanding of what drives people to capture animals, and that Marge has become a nicer person. I would still like to spend a little more time back at FunJungle, so that Teddy and Summer could hang out together!
Weaknesses: The name Fuzi bothered me. Is it pronounced Fuzzy of Fuse-y? Foo-zee? I had to refer to the gorilla as Fern in my head. I also would not have minded a map of the Fitzroy's travels.
What I really think: I always think of Lillian Jackson Braun's The Cat Who mysteries when I read Gibbs' work; there were 29 books, and I read and loved them all. While most series languish on my library shelves, there are always students who are looking forward to Gibbs' new titles.
Belly Up (#1)
Poached (#2)
Big Game #(3)
Pandamonium (#4)
Lion Down (#5)
Tyrannosaurus Wrecks (#6)
Bear Bottom (#7)
Whale Done (#8)
All Ears (#9)- This post includes links to all of the previous reviews.
https://msyinglingreads.blogspot.com/...
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
eARC provided by NetGalley.
I went to look at my review for this book and realized I never actually published it! So here's my review right before the release date (better late than never, am I right?)
First of all, this is another banger of a book in the FunJungle series. I love all the FunJungle books, but this was one of the better ones. The difference in maturity in both Teddy and the writing (43 books later) really shines in this book.
Here are some of the many things that did work in this book:
-The characters were as likable as ever. I loved how we really got more involvement from Jack and Charlene (Teddy's parents, for all the non FunJungle Fanatics out there) because they are some of the best characters in the series. They both help solve the mystery and keep Teddy grounded in reality.
-Charlene got so many good moments in this book. From the rightful fangirling from the different people they meet to all the cool things she did in this book, she really had her time to shine.
-The overall mystery was compelling. When I got the notification that I had been approved for an Arc, I started reading it immediately and didn't stop reading until I was finished.
-I loved the comparison between Teddy and his mother and how it was a full circle at the end with Fuzi. Ultimately, one of the main focuses in this book was family and it added depth to Teddy's character (I don't know if the 9-12 year olds reading the book really appreciate it but I did).
-I felt like Summer's involvement in the book was pretty good despite her being on a different continent. It reminded me of how she was involved in Poached.
-The humor in this book was hilarious and some of the scenes had me laughing out loud. Teddy got into his typical situations that are way more fun to read than they probably are to experience first hand.
-This book struck a good balance between Teddy exhibiting his skills as a detective while still knowing when he needs help. It had his normal self-doubt, and you could tell he leaned on his parents a bit more without Summer there which felt realistic.
Things that didn't work as well:
-The info dumping of animal facts got to be a little much in this book. It would be a really fast-paced scene interjected with a full page about ostriches.
-The epilogue (was there even an epilogue?) felt underwhelming. It felt like it was just another chapter. Or it was just another chapter and there was no epilogue (couldn't quite figure that out).
-I wish we had spent more time with the culprit. Usually, the culprit is someone already in the main cast of characters but this one just felt thrown in.
Overall, I really liked this installment of the series and would recommend.
I went to look at my review for this book and realized I never actually published it! So here's my review right before the release date (better late than never, am I right?)
First of all, this is another banger of a book in the FunJungle series. I love all the FunJungle books, but this was one of the better ones. The difference in maturity in both Teddy and the writing (43 books later) really shines in this book.
Here are some of the many things that did work in this book:
-The characters were as likable as ever. I loved how we really got more involvement from Jack and Charlene (Teddy's parents, for all the non FunJungle Fanatics out there) because they are some of the best characters in the series. They both help solve the mystery and keep Teddy grounded in reality.
-Charlene got so many good moments in this book. From the rightful fangirling from the different people they meet to all the cool things she did in this book, she really had her time to shine.
-The overall mystery was compelling. When I got the notification that I had been approved for an Arc, I started reading it immediately and didn't stop reading until I was finished.
-I loved the comparison between Teddy and his mother and how it was a full circle at the end with Fuzi. Ultimately, one of the main focuses in this book was family and it added depth to Teddy's character (I don't know if the 9-12 year olds reading the book really appreciate it but I did).
-I felt like Summer's involvement in the book was pretty good despite her being on a different continent. It reminded me of how she was involved in Poached.
-The humor in this book was hilarious and some of the scenes had me laughing out loud. Teddy got into his typical situations that are way more fun to read than they probably are to experience first hand.
-This book struck a good balance between Teddy exhibiting his skills as a detective while still knowing when he needs help. It had his normal self-doubt, and you could tell he leaned on his parents a bit more without Summer there which felt realistic.
Things that didn't work as well:
-The info dumping of animal facts got to be a little much in this book. It would be a really fast-paced scene interjected with a full page about ostriches.
-The epilogue (was there even an epilogue?) felt underwhelming. It felt like it was just another chapter. Or it was just another chapter and there was no epilogue (couldn't quite figure that out).
-I wish we had spent more time with the culprit. Usually, the culprit is someone already in the main cast of characters but this one just felt thrown in.
Overall, I really liked this installment of the series and would recommend.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
TLDR: For fans of mystery and humor of all ages but especially those who enjoy fun animal facts.
Welcome back to Fun Jungle as Teddy Fitzroy goes international on his most dangerous case yet.
When Teddy and his parents learn a close friend, Jadim, has died, they rush to Rwanda where he had been working in gorilla conservation. But when they arrive they receive good news—Jadim is alive! He faked his death because he has been caught in a dangerous fight with poachers looking to steal a baby gorilla. And then another worker at the gorilla preserve is attacked and the baby gorilla is stolen! Now Teddy and his parents will have to race across the Serengeti to catch the poachers before it is too late.
What worked:
*While part of a series each book has a self contained plot which makes it easier for kids to start with any book and not feel lost in back story
*First of the series to go international
*As always gripping scenes of real danger
*In the authors note Gibbs acknowledges conservationist Amy Vedder’s help as well as her insistence on having Africans help solve the case and I think this was such a smart choice
*Teddy continues to work through age and scenario appropriate insecurities
* Opening sentence is the entire Book Talk
What did not work:
*The Fun Jungle series is great about sneaking in educational content about the animals Teddy encounters but the exposition felt overdone this time, the facts worked in the context but I began to feel a bit of fatigue over the number of times the plot stopped to share them
Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher Simon and Schuster for the e-Arc. Full review to come.
I fell in love with the Fun Jungle series during my time as a Children’s Program Specialist in the Harris County system so getting this early was basically my Superbowl.
I loved getting to go international with Teddy on his highest stakes mystery yet! Solid 4 stars, the amount of educational animal information felt overdone to me. Number #8-Whale Down remains my personal series fav.
Welcome back to Fun Jungle as Teddy Fitzroy goes international on his most dangerous case yet.
When Teddy and his parents learn a close friend, Jadim, has died, they rush to Rwanda where he had been working in gorilla conservation. But when they arrive they receive good news—Jadim is alive! He faked his death because he has been caught in a dangerous fight with poachers looking to steal a baby gorilla. And then another worker at the gorilla preserve is attacked and the baby gorilla is stolen! Now Teddy and his parents will have to race across the Serengeti to catch the poachers before it is too late.
What worked:
*While part of a series each book has a self contained plot which makes it easier for kids to start with any book and not feel lost in back story
*First of the series to go international
*As always gripping scenes of real danger
*In the authors note Gibbs acknowledges conservationist Amy Vedder’s help as well as her insistence on having Africans help solve the case and I think this was such a smart choice
*Teddy continues to work through age and scenario appropriate insecurities
* Opening sentence is the entire Book Talk
What did not work:
*The Fun Jungle series is great about sneaking in educational content about the animals Teddy encounters but the exposition felt overdone this time, the facts worked in the context but I began to feel a bit of fatigue over the number of times the plot stopped to share them
Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher Simon and Schuster for the e-Arc. Full review to come.
I fell in love with the Fun Jungle series during my time as a Children’s Program Specialist in the Harris County system so getting this early was basically my Superbowl.
I loved getting to go international with Teddy on his highest stakes mystery yet! Solid 4 stars, the amount of educational animal information felt overdone to me. Number #8-Whale Down remains my personal series fav.
September 14, 2025
can’t wait for this book to come out!!!!! i enjoyed all the others, as they had me on the edge of my seat, waiting for the next twist or betrayal. :)
Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews