Cappy West

Meet Cappy West — a happy, hopelessly lost capybara with a brass compass, a sage-green bandana, and a gift for stumbling into wonderful things by accident. In Book 7 of the Cappy West: The Global Explorer series, Cappy arrives in India, the busiest and brightest place he has ever seen. He means to find the market. Instead he shouts hello the wrong way, tries to fan himself with a peacock, mistakes a sleeping tiger for a stripy carpet, and dives under a cart to "hide" from a festival of colours. Every blunder bumps him into something amazing — and a kind local child is always there to set him straight. Along the way, young readers discover real, carefully checked facts about India: the warm greeting "Namaste," the dazzling national bird, the towering Himalayas, the joy of Holi and Diwali, the country that was first to reach the south pole of the Moon, and the gleaming white Taj Mahal at dawn. Perfect for ages 6 to 8 (grades 2–3), this early chapter book blends fast, funny storytelling with genuine curiosity about the world. What's inside: 8 short, illustrated chapters built for newly independent readers True facts woven right into the adventure — never dry, never preachy Local kids as the experts, shown with warmth and respect A "Travel Scrapbook" fact recap and quiz at the back A gentle reminder that getting a little lost can lead somewhere wonderful Cappy travels the world one happy wrong turn at a time. Each book visits a new country and stands on its own, so you can start anywhere. Wander along — you might just take the scenic route to a brand-new fact.