"AND FAR BEYOND THIS VALLEY," BORIS BORED HOLES INTO RUSTY'S EYES, "LIE WONDERS YOU CANNOT IMAGINE. LEGEND SAYS THERE IS A GREAT RIVER¿A RIVER SO WIDE IT CUTS THE WORLD IN TWO!"

In the opening story of the Rusty Coati series, a young Rusty and his friends enjoy an easygoing life in the safety of their secluded valley, until one day Old Boris tells them the legend of the Great River. Everybody believes that the elder coati is crazy, as no one knows his secret. Only Rusty perceives that the bearer of all the knowledge of the forest has an important message to pass on to youngsters and is looking for someone curious and brave, willing to find the truth.

From a branch of the giant kapok tree, Rusty looks out over the immense Amazon rainforest with excitement: he is ready for an adventure!

The courageous ring-tailed coati sets out on a journey in search of the Great River.
Along the way, Rusty makes new friends between the jungle animals, and they help him to overcome the many obstacles he encounters in what seems an impossible quest.

Will Rusty ever find the Great River and understand the real meaning of the ancient tale? Will he make it back to his valley to share it with the other coatis?
ABOUT THE RUSTY COATI STORIES
Inspired and encouraged by his close friend, the late Richard Adams¿author of Watership Down, one of the most beloved and bestselling children's novels of all times¿Galli has created his own set of animal characters and adventures, with a rather peculiar protagonist: Rusty, the ring-tailed coati, a funny-looking creature, with a long snout and black and white markings on his face.

The books are beautifully crafted and contain the original artwork based on Galli's travel and experiences in the Peruvian Amazon, studying native wildlife and plants and finding the inspiration for the series. Like in the Watership Down's 40th anniversary commemorative edition he had the honor of illustrating, the stories come to life in detailed and vibrant oil paintings on canvas, designed to transport young readers into Rusty's world and fire their imagination.

With many additional facts about the Amazon jungle, the books are great educational tools for parents and teachers to help children discover its beauty and treasures and understand the importance of this place and why we must protect it.

The series not only aims to offer charming tales to entertain kids but also wants to engage with a young audience about the environment and the natural world and seeks to raise awareness about the Amazon. This is a time when the rainforest needs all our help to preserve it for its unique animals and plants, for all the indigenous people who call it home, and for the future of our planet.

Aldo Galli was born in Lombardy, Italy, in 1966. He graduated in Agricultural Sciences at the University of Milan. Passionate about the natural world and a keen artist, he loves the wet on wet oil painting technique for his colorful illustrations. He explored the Peruvian Amazon in 2012 and 2022, finding the inspiration for Rusty Coati and his adventures, a children's book series in the rainforest. www.rustycoati.com