The Orangutan Rescue Gang

The Orangutan Rescue Gang written by Joyce Major is a riveting adventure following a group of children that set out to rescue an abused orangutan! This was a heartfelt story with a beautiful message portrayed through a thrilling adventure through the rain forest of Sumatra.

I loved Jaylynn’s character (though her father got on my nerves a lot) and Bima and Zaqi, although supporting characters, brought new dimensions to Jaylynn’s character and the story. Little O was adorable, his plight was heartbreaking but also serves to get you immediately invested in the story. I loved that Jaylynn was determined and persistent, from the moment she met Little O his safety and freedom were the only things on her mind. It was great how she and her best friend back home, Matt, helped recruit people to help Little O and it showed that if you truly want to do something to help change the world, you can if you stick to it and take action. While the character development in this story was one of the books stand out features, I felt like towards the end Zaqi’s character backtracked a bit, becoming a toddler and pitching a fit when the rescue center option was placed on the table, but that could just be my interpretation.

The Orangutan Rescue Gang shines a light on the horrible truth behind the abuse of primates and the ecological disaster happening in the rain forest. This book does a fantastic job of helping children become aware of a problem that could be abstract, as it’s happening so far away. I truly hope that those who read this decide to help primates because it is devastating that poachers do those things to them. The one thing I would have liked to see included in the book would have been an epilogue containing maybe Jaylynn, Bima, and Zaqi working with Orangutans and maybe JayLynn’s father visiting her at work or volunteering with her. I really would have liked to see Matt visiting her since he was a big help in the rescue as well, even if it was from afar.

This book is both creative and informative. Joyce Major does a great job of relaying an important message while telling a story that is consistently entertaining.

Pages: 137 | ASIN: B07PMTN95B