Evangeline Mudd and the Golden-Haired Apes of the Ikkinasti Jungle

Evangeline Mudd

by David Elliott, Andréa Wesson (Illustrator)

"Ecological themes, humor, intriguing characters, and touches of absurdity should appeal to young readers with burgeoning consciences." — SCHOOL LIBRARY JOURNAL

Learning to swing from the rafters, eating peanut-butter sandwiches with her feet . . . Evangeline Mudd has had an unusual childhood. Her primatologist parents have taken their child-rearing cues from the golden-haired ape, whose lifestyle they deeply admire. But things take a drastic turn when Evangeline’s parents are called away on a research trip to the Ikkinasti Jungle, then mysteriously fail to return — leaving it up to their dauntless daughter to find them herself! David Elliott’s comical, offbeat tale introduces a winning heroine as it whisks readers off on a wild adventure.

Genres: Childrens, Humor, Action, Middle Grade, Juvenile, Fiction

208 pages, Paperback

First published February 2, 2004

About the author

David Elliott is the author of THE COOL CRAZY CRICKETS and THE TRANSMOGRIFICATION OF ROSCOE WIZZLE. He says of AND HERE'S TO YOU!, "My neighbor’s rooster and I were having a disagreement. I wanted to sleep in the morning; he wanted to crow. The rooster won, of course. The first verse of AND HERE'S TO YOU! is a tribute to his victory and to the joys found in simply following your nature."

Reviews

[Japhy Holt]

Started the first chapter tonight!

[Claire Blind Reader]

I didn't really get the low reviews until I was about halfway through and then I kind of understood. It's just kind of slow and repetitive. It's a sweet story with an interesting premise for a kids book, but there's just a bit too much whimsy to the point where you really get lost in all the crazy names. The pacing is also kind of all over the place and is pretty slow through most of it. Will it entertain a kid, sure. Do I think it'd be an all time favorite for anyone? Not really. It just doesn't have a lot of meat to it. It feels like it wants to be Pippi Longstocking but without an understanding of the point of her whimsy. I did enjoy the vocabulary in the book and how it taught you the word as you read. That was the best part for me was how unafraid the author was to teach the reader new things. I've never heard some of those words before and for that, I give it high praise!

For future me, this book was about A girl raised by primatologists is sent to stay with her awful cousin while her parents get lost in the jungle looking for apes. Mostly it's about people having crazy names and being afraid of spiders we never actually see in the book, but it has some sweet moments with the apes and her parents.

[Rachel Turner]

I read Evangeline Mudd in the second grade. This book is about a girl named Evangeline, her parents are scientists who study apes. Evangeline grew up in the jungle where her parents do their research. One day, they don't come back and Evangeline must go on an adventure to find out what's happened. This book is creative and exciting for any young girl or boy itching to go on their own adventure. I know I spent some time on the playground after readings pretending to be Evangeline Mudd.

[Savannah Rollins]

Evangeline goes on an adventure to find her parents that keep readers on their toes. This is a perfect book for those who love adventures.

[Bella]

This book is so much fun. I have liked it ever since I first read it years ago as a kid.

[Roxanne]

My daughter and I both really loved this. Looking forward to reading more of Evangeline.

[Ashley Coberly]

Super cute fun short read

[DeNae]

A fun and adventurous read aloud.

[Lesley Burnap]

One of my favorite read alouds!

[Patrice Sartor]

Bump this one to a 3.5--it was a good read. Evangeline is a quirky, spunky gal who is the daughter of two hard-core primatologists. They decide to raise their child, as close as they can get, in the same manner that the golden-haired apes of the Ikkinasti Jungle do. This works out well for Evangeline, though one day her parents decide to take a trip back to the Ikkinasti Jungle, leaving Evangeline with her horrid, mink-tycoon distant relatives.

Eventually Evangeline realizes her parents have been gone far too long, and she enlists the help of their mentor, Dr. Pikkaflee, in helping her rescue them. Much adventure ensues, along with a gentle message about ecology and conservation.

I put this in a collection development paper aimed at 5-8 year olds, and it would suit most of the kids in the latter part of that range, as well as patient and strong-readers from the earlier age range. Some of the words will be unfamiliar, yet (hopefully) amusing to both kids and adults. After all, doesn't the name "Ikkinasti" make you chuckle?

[Chuajiaxin]

this book was interesting,Evangeline Mudd has an unusual childhood.Her primatologist parents have taken their child-rearing cues from the golden-haired ape,whose resourceful and fun-loving lifestyle they deeply admire.But life takes a drastic turn when Evangeline's parents are called away from their cosy bungalow on a research trip to the Ikkinasti Jungle.When they mysteriously fail to return,it's up to Evangaline to travel to Ikkinasti and find them herself! In this comical,fast-paced tale,David Elliot ventures deep into the jungle for quirky encounters with giant spitting spiders,a crazed developer,a retired headhunter,some persistent primates and an impressively plucky heroine.

[Liz Yardley]

fun, refreshingly different characters without being too OTT.
This is the first in the series & the second is just as much fun. Strangely, I got to the end & thought, "But what about the minks?" believing this was an inconsistency ... until I saw book II. (Book I needs a back page announcement for Book II, as the title says it all.) Newly independent readers will love this series. While it may seem more female-orientated, I don't believe it is.

[Sara Truog]

Cute, light story about a girl raised by primatologists who go missing, and she must venture into the jungle to save them. Several subplots left hanging (no doubt to facilitate sequels), and the characters are either charmingly quirky or absolutely horrible. The book was fine, but there's no need to rush to your local library to snag the last copy!

[Amy]

Picked up Evangeline after seeing it mentioned as one blogger's ten favorite funny stories. Evangeline is pretty funny. I love the play on words such as Ikkinasti Jungle and new words such as brachiate or prehensile that are tossed in just perfectly. There were sections though that were just a little too predictable.

[Anna]

Fly with Evangeline Mudd through adventures, adversaries, and of course... trees! A must for 2nd, 3rd, and 4th graders who love Clementine and Charlotte's Web. Great for boys and girls alike, David Elliott writes a lovable character and puts her in laughable situations.

[Kate]

I picked this out for my 8 yr old at the library and she loved it so much she insisted I read it, too. I read it to my 6 year old who also loved it. I thought it was a really good kids book, fun to read aloud!

[Tessa]

hilarious.

[Janie]

I loved the ecologically conscious themes, and it was a great story to boot.

[Grumpy72]

An entertaining read!

[Marta Ferguson]

Any book that has all of us snorting with laughter, at multiple points, gets 5 stars from me.

[Abigail]

Love the fanciful, funny nature of the book. Not as in love with the deus ex machina moments and dangling plotlines.

[moved to storygraph robina_khalid]

Other than the semi-offensive depiction of a native person, I enjoyed reading this book with my 6.5 year old very much.

[Karen]

Funny and entertaining...what's not to like? I remember reading this in third grade and recently reread it. No wonder why I like to read now!

[Sydney S]

I wish I could be Evangeline because I would like to be like a monkey.

[Alexandra]

This book is fantastic! Its about a girl who has adventures in the wild.

[Ralph]

Good book for earth week.