Paradise Mountain

Paradise Mountain is novel in which youngsters take definitive action to stop animal extinction by man. Whether in Africa or Japan they agree that the best approach is to establish an on-going action group to combat environmental disasters. The group is called "The Okapi Club," named after an endangered animal species. Children and adults are members. Thomas Andersons setting descriptions are lyrical and beautiful in both Paradise Mountain, set in Japan, and Way of The Topi, set in Africa. Characterization is vivid and crisp, and the actions and emotions of the brother and sister team, Tim and Lisa, are well-suited to concerned adolescents. In both books, the reader learns about geography, heritage, customs and the everyday lifestyles of their hosts. In Paradise Mountain, Tim and Lisa join forces with brother and sister Kenji and Mariko to save the Paradise Flycatcher bird. We see that brother and sister relationships are much the same in both cultures. We learn about Japanese food, clothing, bonsai, haiku,,the syllabic alphabet called hiragana and the character kanji, the Shinto religion, and the burden of an old soldier, Mizuta, who is descended from the Samurai. Action centers on failed plots leading to summoning the courage to face Mizuta and stop him from destroying the Flycatchers habitat. The boys favor heroic deeds; the girls favor persuasion. We live with Kabedi, Tumba and their parents, Ngoya, and Miteo, in their home in a small village. We work the fields, go to an outdoor village market, stumble upon a hunter's camp, and are swept up in an adventure to capture an antelope poacher in his den. A ghost story and the Legend of the Six Eyed Monster heighten our sense of dangerand adventure!Anderson, Thomas is the author of 'Paradise Mountain' with ISBN 9780880921626 and ISBN 0880921625.