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.

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.

Lark uncovers a smuggling ring and she bravely takes on danger to save an entire species. The relationship between Lark and the baby gibbon is very touching

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. I loved the touch on conservation too as an educational stance, a very powerful and emotive story.

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!

This was my first book by Jess Butterworth and I was keen to give it a go as I thought it may be one that my students enjoyed. I wasn’t wrong.

This story followed Lark who was shipwrecked on an island, struggling to survive. It interested me that it was written in diary form as that added a different element to it as we were taken through Lark’s story.

Beautifully written and enjoyable!

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.

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.

12 year old Lark travels to Cambodia with her family so her mum can report on the illegal animal trade. When Lark decides she wants to be her mum’s assistant she becomes stranded, along with a baby gibbon, on a deserted island. This book is her survival diary as she faces all that the island has to throw at her while trying to keep the young gibbon safe and tells the reader how she came to be stranded

This is an engaging story full of adventure and is perfect for any young survival enthusiast or animal lover. The relationship between Lark and the gibbon is mutually beneficial and it is clear they depend on each other throughout the tail. There are heartstopping moments and moments full of relief when things turn out ok. There is s big focus on animal smuggling and the illegal trade which highlights some of the dangers for the animals and those who try to help them, but also a smaller aspect of plastic waste which washes up on the island. There are a few readers in my class I’m sure would love this story and the short diary extracts make it easy to read in short bursts, or longer sessions.

Another brilliant book from Jess.

We follow Lark as she finds herself stranded on a Cambodian island with a baby gibbon. I loved how Lark dealt with this and how Jess balanced Lark's survival on the island with flashes back to how she came to be here with a gibbon.

There are references to current environmental issues with the volume of plastic in the seas and poaching, both of which are part of Lark's experience.

I loved how it all came together.

Thoroughly enjoyed this one.

A brilliantly quick read, which focuses on a girl being stuck on an island after a boating accident. She is befriended by a gibbon and together they manage to make it to another island and trap the bad guys who are trying to steal and sell gibbons.

Written like a diary, this book doesn’t take long to get through although can feel quite repetitive at times. I loved the message it was trying to get across, but some parts felt far fetched and a little unbelievable even for a children’s book.

Lost on Gibbon Island is a great story of survival against the odds.

When 12 year old Lark is stranded on a deserted Cambodian island with just a baby gibbon for company, things look bleak. How long will she be able to survive on her own and how did she even end up there? The story is gradually revealed through Lark’s diary entries and the mystery unfolds culminating in an exciting climax that is sure to keep young readers on tenterhooks.

There is a strong environmental theme which centres around animal conservation and smuggling rings but the problem of plastic pollution and rubbish in our oceans is also interwoven throughout. The authors’ note at the end is worth a read which shares some shocking statistics about the dangers environmental activists face and why Jess Butterworth came to write this story.

We loved the Animal Adventure Club young fiction series by Jess Butterworth but this is the first of her middle grade books we've read. Rich in setting, detail and drama, Jess Butterworth sticks firmly with the theme of animal conservation in the wild and explores the very concerning topic of gibbon smuggling in Cambodia...

When Lark Taylor finds herself stranded on a desert island with no one but a baby gibbon for company, her fight for survival becomes brutally real. But soon Lark has more than surviving on her mind as she begins to put the pieces of what happened to her together. Will Lark find her missing companion and get off the island? And can she put a stop to what is happening to the gibbons?

Told in diary format, which makes Lark's experience of being stranded so vivid that you feel like you're there with her, this is a story which unfolds before the readers eyes. With scorching sun, stinging jellyfish and a lack of water to contend with, Lark has to use her instinct and wits to stay alive whilst solving the mystery of why the boat she was on sank.

Lark is a strong and determined character but her fear and vulnerability of being stranded alone is portrayed beautifully by Jess Butterworth. The first half of the novel, which is illustrated by the fabulous Rob Biddulph, is essentially Lark's solo adventure - alone and afraid with only adorable Goldie for company. Yet, the story is anything but boring, flowing from the Lark like a river as she encounters and overcomes obstacle after obstacle. In the second half of the novel, the mystery comes more to the forefront, building to a dramatic and dangerous climax that took my breath away. The setting is richly imagined and the descriptions of the flora, fauna and animals on the island are wonderfully detailed.

Woven throughout Lark's story is also the story of Goldie and the gibbons. Raising awareness of human crimes against nature, it explores the danger of smuggling rings and the difficulty in stopping such activity. Heartbreaking and honest, it's a powerful read for the classroom and yet inspires hope within the reader that there is still time to act and people who want to help. On the other hand, however, there's no sugar-coating of the situation Lark finds herself in and I loved the truthfulness of her account which will keep readers gripped.

So, if you are after a survival story with animal welfare at its heart, this is a book for you. Wild yet wonderful, this has definitely made us want to read more of this author's work.

A big thanks to NetGalley and Hachette for allowing me a review copy. Lost on Gibbon Island releases tomorrow, 13th April 2023.

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 jungle adventures.

🚩 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.

I have read and enjoyed Jess Butterworth’s other books, so I was interested to give this one a read. This book is written as a diary by Lark who finds herself shipwrecked on a desert island. We watch Lark struggle to survive, as we gradually learn the circumstances that brought her to this place, along with the baby gibbon. A story of survival and nature, this would be great for a class read linked to these themes.

We absolutely adored this book. A daring tale of surviving great trauma and nature conservation. A tale of mistakes and redemption. A great adventure story. A tale of finding your passions. Read it now ! You will love this story.

I thoroughly enjoyed Lost on Gibbon Island - the latest eco-adventure from Jess Butterworth.

The story is told through the diary entries of twelve year old Lark, who finds herself trapped on a desert island with only a baby gibbon for company. Lark must battle incredible dangers not just to save herself, but to save an entire species too.

Like Castaway for kids, this survival story is unpredictable, has characters that you really care about and has a feeling of genuine peril. It would be a great addition to any bookshelf for pupils in Year 4 and above. Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC.

Lost on Gibbon Island by Jess Butterworth is a thrilling adventure of survival set in a lush Cambodian island. Readers join 12-year-old Lark Taylor, as she is shipwrecked with a baby gibbon, on the beautiful yet unforgiving island. Lark must face storms, dwindling food and jelly-fish infested waters if she hopes to find a way off the island and make it home.

The narrative follows a diary format as Lark bravely navigates the islands hazards with her newly found primate friend. There is even a beautiful and detailed map of Gibbon Island illustrated by Rob Biddulph.

Lost on Gibbon Island is sure to be a hit with readers of all ages as they will cheer for Lark as she discovers courage and hope while trying to survive.

A great adventure story, with an important environmental message too. Lark ends up shipwrecked on an abandoned island with only a baby gibbon for company. I liked the diary entries made throughout the book - and was rooting for Lark to get off the island and stop the poachers. A recommended read for Key Stage 2 children.

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.

Lost on Gibbon Island follows the experience of Lark, who finds herself stranded, alone but for a young gibbon called Goldie, on an uninhabited island. The story is presented as a diary, written by Lark, as she tries to work out how to survive and get home. We learn pretty early on that the incident that caused Lark’s boat to crash was no accident and she is determined, not only to get home, but to find out what is going on.

I did enjoy this book and, after fearing it would be too like The Explorer by Katherine Rundell or Kensuke’s Kingdom by Michael Morpurgo, was relieved to find that the stories were quite different in terms of how they were written even if the subject is similar.

I did have to remind myself at times that this is a book aimed at children and therefore shouldn’t be too miserable as I found some parts to be rather unlikely. Overall though, this was an enjoyable read and one I would be happy to share with the children at school.

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!