Author: Gerry Gaston
Illustrator: Laura Livi
Publisher: Project A Publishing, LLC
ISBN: 978-1-481150453

A band of pirates raided your village and looted your people’s precious treasures, taking the gold and jewels, and then sailed away on the big blue ocean. Armed with your courage and determination, you set out to track down the thieving pirates. And so begins your epic journey …” Gerry Gaston writes in his children’s book, Quest for the Lost Treasure.

Part of the “Choose Your Own Path” series, this over-sized, fifty-page paperback targets readers ages three to eight years old. With no scary scenes or profanity, the story may be best read out loud to beginner readers due to some complicated wording. Illustrator Livi’s colorful, easy-to-understand, and detailed designs cover entire pages with white font wording overlapping them. The last page includes the author and artist’s autobiographies with no promotions for future books. 

In this pirate tale, “you,” the reader, has been following a pirate ship that has stolen treasures and buried them on an island. With each page turned, you make a choice to try to follow the pirates or find where the treasure chest is buried. By being told what page number to turn to next in a small scroll icon placed strategically on the pages, you can climb aboard a ship and go up a ladder or open a hatch that leads to a secret passage or follow the pirates ashore to the beach, a trail, or a slippery ledge. Paths lead up hills, through trees, and into a swamp but eventually take you into a dark cave where the jewels hidden.

With no wrong decision, each time the reader may choose a different sequence viewing the pages and selecting a different icon route, technically ending up with the same results again. 

Trying to get children from constantly playing video games, the idea of an interactive storyline may impress young creative readers who do not mind jumping back and forth between the pages after selecting different options. The concept is unique, but it may be confusing to some young readers who will need someone to help them along the way. This book may not be ideal in e-book format as it would have to be configured to go up, down, and sideways on the selected pages.

Thanks to Bookpleasures and the author for furnishing this book in exchange for a review based on the reader’s opinions.

Follow Here To Purchase Quest for the Lost Treasure ("Choose Your Own Path" Adventure in a Beautifully Illustrated Picture Book, for Ages 3-8)