The Swiss Family Robinson by Johann Wyss (retold by Martin Powell)

Graphic Revolve series. Raintree, 2011. ISBN: 978 1406 224986.
En route from Switzerland to Australia, the Robinson family is ship wrecked on a deserted island. They must discover what their new home has to offer in order to ensure their survival. As they learn about the island, they come across many unfamiliar plants and animals, some of which threaten their existence. Over time, the family grow accustomed to their new home and existence and even welcome a stranger to their midst.
Although I find this story to be quite familiar, thanks to having seen a film of the same name in my childhood, I cannot be certain as to how true it is to the original story. I found most of the text to be grammatically correct, apart from the following statement, 'It's a wild fig tree, which have probably grown here since Biblical times!' This glitch was possibly over-looked due to the limited word count and vocabulary used in this series. Certainly, the graphic novel format makes this tale accessible to even children for whom reading does not come easily. The illustrations brought forth similar feelings to those I had as a child. I would happily go and live in such a tree house as is portrayed in this book!
Jo Schenkel