The Last Cocobolo

by Gary Neil Gupton

Middle grade magical realism coming later in 2023.

Gilbert moves to the rainforest to live with his aunt. He finds a friend in Shawn, a tourist, and Emma, a native girl who introduces them to a trickster sloth tossing ivory palm nuts from a cocobolo tree. The ivory palm nuts hatch and become animated, live critters including a talking turtle, a harpy eagle chick, and a capibara pup. In the process of trying to save the critters, the children discover hordes of hatched ivory palm nuts in the river, perishing due to the clearcutting of the rainforest.

Miguel, the trickster sloth, is my featured photo (artwork by the author, Gary Neil Gupton)