Hi!
If you have arrived here there is a good chance you came here from our QR Code on Monkey Magic: The Curse of Mukada the latest book from Can of Worms Kids Press.

Thank you for your interest.

To learn more about the book and the plight of Orangutans in our world here is an interview with Grant Clark the author of Monkey Magic on TV talking about what we can do to help save Orangutans from extinction.

You may already have done something to help. Buying Monkey Magic means that some of the proceeds from the book will be donated to charities supporting Orangutans. And in the back of the book is a special adopt an Orangutan offer.

Please help us save the Orangutan.

About the Author:

Grant S. Clark has spent much of the past fifteen years writing about primates (the human kind) jumping on each other and chasing balls in his job as a sports journalist. He is British and lives with his family in Singapore. In this, his first novel, he draws on his experience of spending time in the rainforests of Borneo. Ten percent of the author’s royalties will go to conservation charities that help orangutans. Come and hang out online at www.monkeymagicbook.com

For free teacher worksheet downloads about conservation, orangutans, Monkey Magic and writing, visit the “School Stuff” section at www.monkeymagicbook.com

Monkey Magic: The Curse of Mukada
by Grant S Clark

‘A beautifully written tale of good vs evil that will inspire its readers to join the fight to save the Orangutan and help save the Earth, too!‘ National Geographic Kids

“A gripping adventure with an important message.”
– JEREMY STRONG, bestselling children’s author

“A super book! Please buy it, treasure it in your library and share its message with your family. Then open up the website and text all your friends to follow the instructions so all of you can do your best to help save the orangutans and the rainforests of Borneo in which they live before it is too late.” – DAVID BELLAMY, television presenter, conservationist & writer

“I read Monkey Magic to my five-year-old son Robert. He loved this book and is even more inspired to become a Wildlife Warrior!” – TERRI IRWIN, naturalist and owner of Australia Zoo

“Monkey Magic is an enchanting story about a very unusual ape – the orangutan! Living in the steamy rainforests on the remote island of Borneo, orangutans are an extremely endangered species and are encountering many challenges. But a young lady of 11 named Romy suddenly finds herself in the very unique position of being able to help these red apes!” – “Jungle” Jack Hanna, host of Emmy award-winning Into the Wild and Director Emeritus, Columbus Zoo

“It’s a wonderful book and an exciting adventure! The book deserves to be read and enjoyed by as many children as possible.
I couldn’t stop once I’d started. The author combines magic with descriptions of real orangutans fantastically well.” – ANGELA ROYSTON, author of more than 200 children’s books

“It’s a wonderful, magical story. I’m sure children will both benefit from it and love it.”
– ZAC GOLDSMITH, environmentalist, politician and writer

“Monkey Magic is a fantastic novel.”
– The Midwest Book Review, USA

“A gripping adventure that will touch the heart of any child. A must read for any child or parent. It ensnares you into the fight
of good against evil, the struggle against greed, crooks – and the fate of the orangutan. Monkey Magic has the detail, mystery and surprises required in a really good book.”
– DR CHRISTIAN NELLEMAN, Editor, United Nations report The Last Stand of the Orangutan

“Monkey Magic is magic. A very relevant adventure story about greed, good and evil with a big message for all children and adults alike. Highly recommended.” – FANY LAI, Executive Director, Singapore Zoo

“A delightful tale that captures the elements that appeal to 8- to 12-year-olds. This captivating story brings a deeper message of conservation.” – EXPAT LIVING, Singapore

“I loved it! The author manages to sneak in lots of interesting facts about orangutans and the threats facing them. I really enjoyed reading it, couldn’t wait to find out what would happen next and didn’t notice I was reading a children’s book.” – HELEN BUCKLAND, UK Director, Sumatran Orangutan Society

Interesting Facts About Orangutans

• Our close relationship with orangutans is reflected in the name: orangutan means “man of the forest”.

• Orangutans live in Malaysia and Indonesia, on the islands of Borneo and Sumatra, in Southeast Asia.

•In 1900, more than 300,000 of these apes roamed the forests. Now there are only 50,000 to 60,000. The main reason for their demise is loss of habitat, caused by humans.

• Fewer than 8,000 orangutans now live in Sumatra. These apes are smaller and have lighter and longer hair than Borneo’s orangutans.

• Males weigh up to 100 kg (220 pounds) and stand 1.2 to 1.4 metres tall (4 to 4.7 feet); females weigh as much as 50 kg (110 pounds) and grow to 1 to 1.2m (3.3 to 4 f) in height.

• Orangutans stay with their mothers until they are seven years old. Unlike the ape families in Monkey Magic, real orangutan fathers have little to do with their families.

• Orangutans’ arms are twice as long as their legs. They use both arms and legs while foraging for food. Orangutans build a new nest to sleep in virtually every night.

• Orangutans with the big pads on their faces are male and are called “flanged”.

• Fruit makes up more than half of the orangutan diet. They love figs and durian – a spiky, green fruit whose smell is
so pungent it is banned from many buildings in Singapore.

•Orangutans also eat young leaves, shoots, seeds, bark, insects and bird eggs. In desperation, they may munch on soil or
feed on small animals such as birds.

• Orangutans, researchers say, are the most intelligent animal other than humans. They are capable of using leaves to make rain hats and leakproof roofs over their nests

• Orangutans from Borneo are listed as “endangered” by the World Conservation Union. Sumatran orangutans are listed as “critically endangered”.

• Very few wild orangutans will be left in two decades unless the destruction of the rainforests, mostly through illegal logging, is halted. 3

•Many of the last refuges for orangutans, including national parks, might be decimated by 2012, leaving the apes nowhere to go, according to a United Nations report.

• The UN report found that the rainforests containing orangutans were being cleared so rapidly that almost all will be destroyed by 2022 unless urgent action is taken.

• The UN report also said orangutans are often killed for meat or to protect newly planted crops.

• About 1,000 orangutans are poached from the wild every year, often for sale as pets.

• Ah Meng, one of the world’s most famous orangutans, was originally a pet. She spent most of her life in Singapore Zoo
and was the only non-human to be awarded Singapore’s “Special Tourism Ambassador” award.

•Ah Meng appeared in films promoting Singapore but could be temperamental. Once, while filming, she climbed a tree and
refused to come down for three days.

•Following Ah Meng’s death at age 48 in 2008, 4000 people showed up to pay their respects. Newspapers around the world carried her obituary.

• The Bornean orangutan Ken Allen was an escape artist at the San Diego Zoo. He unscrewed bolts and climbed walls to get out of his cage, only to be found with zoo visitors and back to a keeper.