Media Reviews

The Midwest Book Review
"Written in rhyme and brightly illustrated throughout, The Utt Jungle Airline is simply wonderful reading for children ages four to nine. Also very highly recommended in this outstanding and imaginative series are: The Jungle of Utt: Shipwrecked on the Island of Skree and The Jungle of Utt: Mystery of the Lake."

Hartford Courant, Hartford CT
"Thumbs up! Books real kids love to read."

ForeWord Magazine
"Young children are sure to enjoy the stories in rhyme and the characters."

Accent Alliance Ohio
"Targeted for armchair adventurers ages 4 - 9, Concepts such as community pride, forging friendships and establishing values delightfully resonate through the rhyme and rhythm of the text. The handpainted artwork is rendered in vibrant watercolor."

Imperial Valley Express, California
"The Jungle of Utt series is beneficial and fun for children and teaches positive values and morals. With colorful, handpainted artwork, the magical world of Skree expands the imagination and encourages recreational reading."

Cape Cod Times
"A great way for children to learn while having fun."

The Green Bay Press - Gazette
"The Jungle of Utt: Mystery of the Lake and Shipwrecked on the Island of Skree, magical journeys and adventures are yours to be read."

Educators & Experts

Public School Principal:
"The Jungle of Utt is a delightful story filled with animal and people characters that children love to read about. The Island of Skree in the Sassaway Sea and The Jungle of Utt are the very thing imaginative thinking is all about for young readers. Wonderfully illustrated and masterfully created in rhyme, Mr. Thomas threads together a story adventure that is easy to read and musical to listen to.

"Teachers are able to use a good story in many ways to help students with difficulties, enhance a theme of study, create opportunities for discussion and problem solving, motivate imagination, drama and art. A good story and a good teacher are a wonderful combination; the educational possibilities are endless and exciting.

"The Jungle of Utt would be a welcome addition to a school library and classroom."
Mr. Charles Launder, Principal
Larkspur Public School

Child Psychologist:
"As a psychologist working with children, it was a pleasure to encounter stories for children in which there is a strong sense of community, friendship and wholesome values. The stories communicate messages of the importance of sharing in order to overcome obstacles, as well as the value of community participation in problem solving.

There are many opportunities for creative discussion, drama and art. The musical rhythm of the stories also enhances their educational value.

Finally, the illustrations are an excellent complement to the enjoyable text. There is a wonderful whimsical yet realistic quality to the illustrations.

Overall, I was most impressed with The Jungle of Utt."
Mavis Himes, Ph.D.

Elementary School Teachers:

"The Jungle of Utt was thoroughly enjoyed by my grade four and five classes. As a Language Arts teacher, I have found great educational value in the book, as well as, in Cameron Thomas' particular writing style. The Jungle of Utt is an uplifting story filled with animals and people that children love to read about. My students were intrigued by the shipwrecking that took place on the Island of Skree.

"The rhyming component in the stories provides the musical rhythm children need to increase their vocabulary and develop fluency in their oral reading. The educational possibilities in this area are endless and exciting.

"Lastly, I appreciate the fact that the story taught the children that being different from one another doesn't mean that they can't be friends and get along. That moral has many possibilities for extension of learning both inside and outside the classroom."

Andrea Glassman: Grades 4 and 5, Language Arts
Leo Baeck Day School
"The Jungle of Utt series is fun, entertaining and engaging and the poetry is marvelous. The grade 3's at our school enjoyed the friendliness of the characters and the helpful way they interacted with each other. The illustrations are excellent and very much contribute to the mood of the story.

As teachers, we appreciate the book for many reasons. The themes surrounding the books within the series are appropriate for children in the primary grades, as children are continually learning how to get along with one another, and how to solve problems that arise in everyday life in a positive and cooperative fashion."
Nicole Minaki, Linda Nimigon, Devika William, Ila Mistry:
Public School Teachers, Grade 3.

Children's Reviews

Exerpts from more than 100 letters written to the author and publisher.

"Your books are exciting! My favorite characters are the Pig who likes to stay clean, the stork who delivers the mail and the bear policeman. I like the rhyming words and the story because I never knew what was going to happen next so I read it and found out." Theodore, Grade 5

"I liked The Jungle of Utt stories because of the rhyming. I liked the Bear. I would like to read all the stories from The Jungle of Utt." Stephanie, Age 8

"The illustrations were excellent. The best part was the sailor on his boat crashing up on the island and the Llamas helping him find his way to the village. I also liked the rhymes because they were funny." William, Grade 4

"I think your stories are great. I can sit down for an hour and read them."
Amanda, Grade 4

"I really enjoyed it The jungle of Utt. It is wonderful and it deserves a place in my heart and that's where it is now." Amy, Grade 3

"The books are exciting and interesting. The characters are very different and funny. When you start a book it is difficult to put it down."
Jessica & Abbi, Grade 5

"The story of The Jungle of Utt was really good because I like adventures. I like the Pig because it likes to stay clean and the Elephant because he puts out fires and the Eagle because he delivers the news." Jennifer, Grade 3

"I like your book The Jungle of Utt very much. The illustrations are great, the story is amazing and the characters are very interesting. I hope you write more."
Leah, Grade 4

Text and Illustrations Copyright (c) 2002 by MGT Publishing a subsidiary of MGT Developments Ltd.