Not a fan of Geronimo Stilton. I find her coloured words which are sometimes capitalised a tad gimmicky. But since my son seems to have developed a budding interest in the Amazon rainforest, I took a chance on this, hoping that it would enhance our knowledge. Best if the book comes with detailed descriptions on various adaptations, which is a content-heavy topic in Singaporean students’ Sci curriculum.

From that perspective, I was sorely disappointed because Geronimo travelled from one part of Brazil to another, including Brasilia, the Pantanal, and the Iguazu Falls. I got a 2-page spread of the animals that live in the Pantanal - and that’s it. I did learn from the story that one can tuck into piranha soup and alligator tails if he so desires, but I couldn’t help feeling that the author should have dived deeper into animal behaviours and characteristics. Even if I were to suspend my preconceived expectations, I found the way Geronimo hopped from one place to another rather jarring. It yielded broad strokes in terms of the impression I was getting about Brazil, but I would much rather have an in-depth view of just one part of Brazil.

What this book excels at is the use of precise verbs, which will definitely improve the average fifth grader’s vocabulary if he has a system for acquiring unfamilia words meticulously. Staggered, stammered, exasperated, surreptitiously winked, sputtered out, just a sampling that I’m confident my 11-year-olds don’t know (yet). I have to figure out a way to infuse this kind of vocabulary into my lessons. If they were avid readers, my battle would be hard won.

Geronimo is adept at weaving descriptions that paint vivid images in my mind. Case in point: the water from the river tumbled down from incredible heights, forming swirling eddies below. The noise the water made was a deafening roar.

I will weep in joy if I can ever get my pupils to write like that. ☝🏻

Final verdict: good book to complement the teaching of vocab. Some paragraphs can be used as mentor texts to teach writing. Story is laid out superficially, but I am nonetheless intrigued by the coconut pudding & fazenda (farm). Maybe I’ll do a farm stay there one day!