Adventures of Riley, a series
by Amanda Lumry & Laura Hurwitz
Eaglemont Press, 2004/2005
Did you know that the gender of the caiman -- a relative of the crocodile -- is determined by the temperature of the nest before the eggs hatch? No? Well, did you know that the vanilla plant is actually an orchid? You didn't? Well, if you read the Adventures of Riley series to a child recently, you probably would have known both of those facts.
With their delightful Adventures of Riley series, Amanda Lumry, Laura Hurwitz and illustrator Sarah McIntyre have provided a twist on the children's book. Lumry has traveled the world as a photographer and has incorporated these photos into the Adventures of Reilly series.
Riley is an inquisitive and precocious young boy. In Amazon River Rescue, he's invited by his Uncle Max to visit in Brazil. Once there, Riley and his Cousin Alice get into their own misadventures.
In Dolphins in Danger, Riley, his Aunt Martha and Cousin Alice are invited by their friend Dr. Poole to the South Pacific Island of Moorea to study spinner dolphin behavior and communication.
Lumry and Hurwitz integrate a love of nature and photography together with factual tidbits about the locales, flora and fauna Riley and company experience. This combination of traits makes the Adventure series not only fun, but educational. Each book also comes with a "passport" and sticker, so that a child can collect stickers from all of Riley's adventure books.
