In this true story, an indigenous boy from Tierra del Fuego is transported to London in the early 1800s, where he encounters a vastly different world. But if used well, it could be a powerful catalyst for deep conversation and critical thinking about history, morality, and power. The illustrations are captivating and show how isolated Jemmy Button feels particularly because the European people have been shown as silhouettes and dark figures. I think this tragic chapter in the history of British colonialism would have been better served if it had been told for a slightly older audience, an audience that could start to understand some of the sad implications inherent in this sad true life story.

The story is told in few words, but it is really the evocative illustrations in this book that makes this book great.

Quite nice pictures soften the story of Orundellico, a boy of Tierra del Fuego, bought from his parents for a mother-of-pearl button and taken on the HMS Beagle to England to be "civilized. tapi meskipun sudah dididik untuk jadi bagian mereka tp si anak ngerasa ttp not quite, ia ttp ngerasa ini bukanlah rumahnya. I understand simplifying events for children, but here that’s to the point of historical inaccuracy. But I was uncomfortable with the way in which the book glossed over the larger implications of colonialism and the ways that western exploration affected the societies that it touched and exploited.

Jennifer Uman and Valerio Vidali discovered a mutual interest in this story and overcame language obstacles with the help of translators. The real Orundellico was taken from his people as a young boy and sent to England to be educated in Christianity and Victorian customs. I believe Jemmy Button and his people were kidnapped and I would have preferred that to be depicted in the book.The contexts of O'run-del'lico (aka Jemmy Button)'s story as told through Uman and Vadali's picture book feel wrong to me. Their vivid illustrations bring Jemmy's feelings of isolation, loneliness and eventual belonging beautifully to life. Living on a “faraway island” a boy named Orundellico climbs the tallest trees, views the stars, listens to the ocean and wonders what’s “on the other side.