A companion title to Dore the The Essential Guide gives young readers an inside look at Dora the Explorer's cousin Diego, his friends, and his adventures in the rain forest.
Before reading this book, I didn't really know anything about Diego. I had never watched the show and just knew that he was Dora's cousin. This is a very informative guidebook about Diego and the animals he rescues. It goes through what Diego does, the tools he uses, and the people/animals who help him. (Sidenote: Diego has way cooler gadgets than Dora ever did.)
This is a good book for fans of Diego or kids who really like animals, but it's not that interesting to read through. There are tons of facts of animals and how they adapted to various ecosystems (desert, rainforest, Africa, etc.), but it is best read over multiple sittings. It's a lot of information to take in at once. Because it's a guidebook, it is just a lot of facts, rather than a story.
The pictures are okay, but many look like they were taken directly from the show so they are blurry.
Syd loves this book, and if you have a child who loves Diego or is interested in animals, they will too! It's not in story format, but instead gives fun facts about different parts of the rainforest, animals, and characters on the show.
My child has recently fallen head over heels in love with Diego, and consults this field guide as though it were her own personal Bible. Personally, it makes me want to nod off every time we open it. But if you're in preschool? Stimulating reading, man.