Kondo & Kezumi Visit Giant Island - by David Goodner (Paperback)

About the Book

After finding a map in a bottle, best friends Kondo and Kezumi build a boat and set out to explore the islands near their own.

Book Synopsis

In this colorful and fun adventure, best friends Kondo and Kezumi find a map that leads to the wonders of the unknown, perfect for fans of Ivy & Bean and Mercy Watson.

Kondo is big. Kezumi is little. They lived on an island with fruit trees and berry bushes and flitter-birds and fluffle-bunnies. When a surprise bottle washes ashore, they discover a map with a mysterious message: WE ARE NOT ALONE. Kezumi wants to follow the map and explore the world. Kondo wants to stay home and pick fruit from the fruit tree and berries from the berry bushes. But once Kezumi builds the perfect boat, the best friends set sail together to see . . . well, they don't know!

So begin the adventures of Kondo and Kezumi, where islands of cheese and giant mountains await. Rising stars David Goodner and Andrea Tsurumi team up for this illustrated chapter book series filled with charming quirks and unexpected discoveries. Get ready to set foot on uncharted territory with classic themes of friendship, community, and exploration.

Review Quotes

*"The personal relationships, various environments, and building projects provide multiple points of engagement to keep new readers motivated."--Publishers Weekly, starred review

"Goodner and Tsurumi's brightly illustrated chapter book should find favor with fans of Kate DiCamillo and Chris Van Dusen's similarly designed Mercy Watson series.... A story of friendship that is both lively and lovely."--Kirkus Reviews

"Recommended for readers who are transitioning to chapter books and who are fans of animated adventure television shows."--School Library Journal

"Voyagers Kezumi and Kondo tackle fears, frustrations, and homesickness humorously and realistically, reflecting the many issues that can test a friendship during travel...Kondo and Kezumi remind us that we are not alone, indeed."--Horn Book

A Junior Library Guild Gold Standard Selection


Tsurumi's imaginative, humorous illustrations appear in saturated colors on every page...[and] plenty of dialogue to support newly independent readers ready to adventure into longer books.--Booklist

About the Author

David Goodner has worked at the Arlington Public Library for the last twenty-one years and counting. He is the author of Ginny Goblin Is Not Allowed To Open This Box, and its follow-up, Ginny Goblin Is Not Allowed To Have A Monster For A Pet. He lives in North Texas with his wife and two uncommonly pleasant cats.

Andrea Tsurumi is the author and illustrator of Accident! and Crab Cake, as well as numerous comics. She illustrated Not Your Nest by Gideon Sterer and Girls Who Code by Reshma Saujani. She was born and raised in New York, where she got an MFA from the School of Visual Arts, and she now lives in Philadelphia with her spouse and their dog. When she's not inventing croissant-based animals, she likes reading about ordinary and ridiculous history.