TITLE: The Absolutely True Adventures of Daydreamer Dev

AUTHOR: Ken Spillman

PAGE EXTENT: 166

PUBLISHER: Puffin Books(Penguin Random House India)

GENRE: Middle Grade

MY RATING: ⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

SOURCE: Received a copy from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

Sitting in class or watching clouds from the roof of Kwality Carpets, Dev’s flights of fancy land him in challenging environments all over the globe. He brings home notes from his teacher so regularly that Amma only rolls her eyes as she fishes them from his satchel. Baba says that if there were medals for daydreaming, Dev would be an All-India Champion-maybe even an Olympic hero.

These action-packed stories transport the reader to three iconic locations, each one testing Dev’s survival skills while teaching him to respect environments and cultures that seem alien to him. Follow Dev as he accompanies the ghost of a Sherpa woman on a quest to conquer Mount Everest. Ride with Dev as he traces the Amazon River, which proves much more difficult than going with the flow! Join Dev and his pal OP as they set out from Timbuktu to cross the Sahara on malodorous camels.

For Dev and his colourful imagination, it’s Access All Areas and No Holds Barred.

“That’s the thing about books. They let you travel without moving your feet.”

Ever heard of this saying? Well, that’s EXACTLY what this book does!

Dev is a young boy with an imagination so immense he could get an Olympic gold if daydreaming were a sport! Of course, much to the dismay of his teacher and his strict father.

Mind you, Dev’s imagination is WILD! Follow him as he “travels” to the snowy peaks of the Himalayas, the lush green canopies of the Amazon rainforest and the blistering sand dunes of the Sahara and learns quite a few important life lessons along the way, all thanks to his imagination! The illustrations only add to the fun!

It didn’t escape my notice how the author Ken Spillman has emphasised on the need to respect cultures and traditions of other peoples and countries through his stories while also highlighting the need to preserve various environments.

Dev’s best friend OP reminded me so much of the younger, nerdy Middle School me(still super nerdy hehe)! He constantly keeps spewing random facts from his mouth and you learn quite a bit of fun stuff while you read these action-packed, thrilling stories!

So, what are you waiting for? Join Dev on some wild, wild adventures through different terrains of the world and don’t forget, the only limit to what you can do is your imagination! Let it run wild!

What are some of your favourite adventure stories? Let me know in the comments!