Evangeline Mudd and the Golden-Haired Apes of the Ikkinasti Jungle — David Elliott

Hold on to the chandeliers! An eccentric couple's passion for primates leads their dauntless daughter on a wild adventure in this offbeat illustrated novel.

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 resourceful and fun-loving lifestyle they deeply admire. But life takes a drastic turn when Evangeline's parents are called away from their cozy New England bungalow on a research trip to the Ikkinasti Jungle. And when they mysteriously fail to return, it's up to Evangeline to travel to Ikkinasti and find them herself! In this comical, fast-paced tale, David Elliott ventures deep in the jungle for some close encounters with giant spitting spiders, a crazed developer, a retired headhunter, some persistent primates, and an impressively plucky heroine.