The Lost Book of Undersea Adventure

The Lost Book of Undersea Adventure tells the story of an expedition undertaken by The Unknown Adventurer who placed a journal into a bottle to send home to their younger siblings. The journal was discovered in 2022 when it washed up on a beach in Devon yet the Unknown Adventurer is still yet to be named.

The journal details The Unknown Adventurer’s voyage to the other side of the world to find the Bajo people who their Grandmother had once told them about. These people- also referred to as sea nomads- live their lives entirely on the water and are famously known as the world’s greatest free divers who can dive to incredible depths to catch their food.

This book is made up of notes and illustrations drawn by The Unknown Adventurer during their expedition and where possible, the original layout of the journal has been honoured and the drawings restored by editor and compiler Teddy Keen. Teddy previously oversaw the publication of two other works by The Unknown Adventurer based on other journals found in the depths of the Amazon rainforest. The story behind the books may seem far-fetched, but for the curious reader it is a fascinating rabbit-hole to fall into.

There’s a scrapbook-like feel to the design of this book which makes the reader feel as though they’re reading something special, something unique- and you definitely are! You often see non-fiction titles for young readers that try to replicate an epistolary genre, but this is the real deal and knowing it’s based on real-life adventures and views makes it truly awe-inspiring.

The illustrations are stunning- beautifully bright pencil-drawings ranging from stunning underwater coral scenes of the island The Unknown Adventurer made their home to more sketch-like illustrated instructions of how to build a raft from found materials on the island. I wouldn’t be surprised to see this book on the nominations list, if not long or shortlist for the Carnegie Medal for Illustration next year.

I’m reluctant to reveal too much about the expedition in this review but the Unknown Adventurer did find the Bajo people and a good portion of the book is detailing their way of life and beliefs, the latter of which I found particularly fascinating.

I couldn’t recommend this book more to those readers who would want to go on an adventure of a lifetime through the pages of this stunning and moving book.