The Doecuru expedition

To celebrate the end of school, twelve-year-olds Ryûji and Sayuri are invited by a strange three-legged crow to join their friend, Father Kaze. They still don't know what important mission he has in store for them... Accompanied by fantastic animals, the two will leave for a journey to Peru in search of Doedicurus, a prehistoric animal. The Doecuru Expedition will have to rely on the courage and intelligence of its members to survive the many dangers that lie in wait. An engaging and adventurous novel aimed at nature lovers, halfway between Jules Verne and Hayao Miyazaki, and illustrated by manga master Taiyō Matsumoto. Masao Kawai (1924-2021) was a well-known Japanese primatologist, distinguished for having chosen to study primates through kyokan, an empathetic method based on the relationship and attachment between the researcher and the object of study. Choosing Mato Kusayama as his stage name, the eminent scientist published the results of his research in the volume Life of Japanese Monkeys in 1969. Then, at the dawn of his ninetieth birthday, he decided to write The Doecuru Expedition, unanimously hailed in Japan as a masterpiece of children's literature.