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The latest edition of Karen McMillan’s Elastic Island Adventures series dives into coral conversation and the perils of plastic pollution in a child-friendly way.
The book follows Kiri, Jed and twins Emma and Ethan who travel with Blong the Cat and Heathcliff the Dog to Fiji. When they arrive at Plantation Island Resort, they discover Lepani, a small hermit crab, hiding in their room. He has run away from home, is terrified of plastic and doesn’t want to be a crab anymore. The children are determined to reunite him with his family, but it seems they will first have to allow him to enjoy the ‘day life’ with them. But they soon discover that he is accident-prone, and their biggest challenge will be keeping him alive!
Although Karen has written a number of non-fiction books and novels, she says her 10-year old daughter started nagging her to write a children’s book, which led to the first Elastic Island Adventure.
This is the seventh book in the series, the first six books were set in a fictional South Pacific world, but now the books are set in real-life places, and Karen has been hosted in Rarotonga and Fiji to write the books.
“I love that we are doing books that are set in our part of the world; it’s relatable, it’s sunshine, it’s beaches, it’s outdoor adventures,” she says.
Karen will be at Whangaparāoa Mall during the Easter School Holidays on April 16, 17, 19, 21 and 22, so people can buy books and get them signed, and also enter the Fiji Family Holiday competition.
Hibiscus Matters has five copies of Elastic Island Adventures to give away. To go in the draw, email your name and phone number to hibiscusnews@localmatters.co.nzwith ‘Elastic Island Adventures’ in the subject line. Or post/drop-off your entry to us at 21 Florence Avenue, Ōrewa. Entries close 5pm April 16. PLUS Plantation Island Resort is offering an amazing prize for anyone who wins a book by 30 April – a chance to go into the draw to win a family holiday in Fiji worth $5,000!
