Mission to Madagascar: Adventures of Riley    by Amanda Lumry, Laura Hurwitz & Sarah McIntyre Order:  USA  Can Eaglemont, 2005 (2005) Hardcover      Reviewed by Hilary Williamson This fifth in the Adventures of Riley takes our nine-year-old hero, along with his uncle's family and a film crew, to the African island of Madagascar, home to endangered lemurs (and other species found nowhere else in the world). Smithsonian, World Wildlife Fund and Wildlife Conservation Society scientists contribute to the series and a portion of the proceeds is donated to these organizations. A Riley's World Passport and an episode adventure sticker are included with each book. The objective this time is to find and photograph the rare, elusive, and nocturnal aye-aye lemur, which is 'the size of a cat ... With ears like a bat' and sharp teeth. The team head out at night into the spooky forest, but are out of luck. Of course, Riley is the one who later unexpectedly spots an aye-aye. Colorful illustrations and potographs take the reader along on the journey, while sidebars explain factoids on all the creatures spotted. On this journey, Riley sees baobab trees, a hissing cockroach, a leaf-tailed gecko, a fossa (rather like a mongoose), various birds and poisonous frogs. He also learns that the biggest danger to Madagascar wildlife comes from people cutting down the forest - 90% of it has already been cleared. Join Riley on all of his adventures, including this one to the fourth largest island in the world. Mission to Madagascar is entertaining and educational for both young and old. Note: Opinions expressed in reviews and articles on this site are those of the author(s) and not necessarily those of BookLoons. Find more Kids books on our Shelves or in our book Reviews