Books
Somewhere Over the Rainforest
andrew keith slayton
Twelve-year-old Oliver Wendell Applegate is enamored with wild animals but not with the extravagant life he leads in Knightsbridge, England. A neglected only child, Oliver finds his closest companion in his loyal dog, Scratch. When his father, Grayson Wendell Applegate, a wealthy industrialist with dubious interests in animal poaching and rainforest deforestation temporarily relocates the family to their farm bordering the Amazon Rainforest, Oliver’s life changes forever.
After an unexpected mishap on a neighboring property, Oliver and Scratch stumble upon a “one-of-a-kind” zoo exploiting exotic animals. Their discovery sets off a chain of events that leaves them lost deep in the rainforest. In their quest to find their way back home, they meet two indigenous tribes along with a host of extraordinary animals who guide Oliver toward a greater understanding of his purpose: to protect the Amazon Rainforest from destruction.
Somewhere Over the Rainforest is an inspiring adventure that reminds readers that kindness and doing what’s right are what truly matter. Join Oliver and Scratch on a literary odyssey full of wonder, discovery, and hope.
KINDLE / E-BOOK
PAPERBACK
Read Oliver's Poetry
Scratch the Dog
England
A dog named Scratch, abandoned quite young,
was rummaging through trash just to eat.
Dying of thirst and always so hungry,
finding shelter was no easy feat.
Scratch was lonely, without any friends;
he wandered the streets all alone,
scrounging around for scraps here and there,
while dreaming of finding a bone.
One hot sunny day, Scratch lost his way
in a back alley quite lost and afraid.
Then came Oliver who took him home,
and from then on, he was no longer strayed.
The two of them bonded; they were best of friends.
Each day they would be together.
Then Scratch and Oliver were swept far from home,
almost drowning because of the weather.
They were scared and trapped, with no way out.
On a river’s edge, they were luckily found.
Then by taking the sacred path to the hollowed-out tree,
for it was there they’d be safe and quite sound.
It was now pitch black; they felt under attack,
they heard creatures and saw blinking eyes,
then slept on some leaves under the hollowed-out tree,
hoping by morning they’d still be alive.
Then morning came, Scratch awoke from the sun
as the rays glistened into his eyes,
picking his head up from on top of the leaves,
staring up towards the deep blue skies.
Looking up, looking down, it was not a surprise,
they were surrounded by odd-looking creatures,
when suddenly Scratch saw an unusual bird,
its beak with the most beautiful features.
The bird looked down and saw him too,
making eye contact and starting to stare.
He then flew down landing in front of ol’ Scratch,
saying, “You know, a dog in these parts is quite rare!”
“Toco’s my name and I was nervous at first,
as you looked really big from my tree!
I was quite curious for sure, proceeding with caution.
And I guess you felt the same about me.”
“My name is Scratch;” he pointed to Oliver asleep.
“We are both lost without any doubt.
With no direction home we became quite worried.
Could you please help us find our way out?”
“Until such time, why you can just stay with me,
with a food supply varied and neat.
I have bananas and berries and big red cherries,
and I can teach you the right things to eat.”
Scratch said, “Okay! We’d be happy to stay.
We’ll just wait to find our way home.”
Toco was nice, and he cared for them both,
and best of all they’d not be alone.
To a lagoon they went, to go for a swim,
where Scratch scrubbed himself on some stones.
Now squeaky clean, looking rather lean and mean,
Oliver observed he was no longer all skin and bones.
Toco took them back to the hollowed-out tree
and fed them some nuts and some berries.
Later for dinner they ate loads of mangoes,
for dessert, some big, bright-red cherries.
“For this I’ll repay you,” Scratch said with a grin,
“but how much, I really do not know.”
“You owe me nothing, we’re now best of friends.
You can live here and just go with the flow.”
Both Scratch and Oliver felt right at home,
This new friendship was a lift to their mood.
Then Toco gave Scratch a much bigger name,
calling him “Scratch, The Cool Dog Dude.”
Jasper the Raven
England
One cold, damp, and starry night,
in the moonbeams of a midnight sky,
a dark black object spread its wings,
soaring for hours, for it loved to fly.
He was a bird on a mission way too long,
wanting to find a new roost,
for his life was filled with much loneliness,
thinking a new home might give it a boost.
As he hovered ’round, he heard ravens talking,
so he swooped on down to see.
In the yard of the Tower of London, he found
six ravens on the big property.
He was a common black raven, dark as can be,
and on that night he met six others:
two were sisters, the others their brothers,
all orphaned with no fathers or mothers.
They welcomed him with open wings
and asked him, “Where are you from?”
He replied to them, “I’m from the forest!
And with no real home, I feel like a bum.”
They told him of the man in charge,
the mate called The Raven Master,
then heard him speak of an old wives’ tale:
less than six ravens would spell a disaster.
“The Crown and Britain shall fall,” he said,
“should one raven want to fly away,
leaving only five to hold down the fort
assuming one were dead or astray.”
“So that no one leaves, I shall do one thing:
I will clip off a part of one flight wing.”
Jasper then worried about how much that would hurt;
the six ravens assured him, “no more than a sting.”
Jasper had stayed and found his own perch,
spending each Friday on top of the tower.
He’d wait until six for Big Ben to chime,
which it did every hour on the hour.
He would then take off to come visit me,
on his way picking up our trifle dessert.
We would play some checkers then watch TV,
then he’d snooze on my bed in my shirt.
Every Friday night, Jasper would stay;
he couldn’t wait to share my big morning meal:
two eggs, a few pancakes, toast, and mango slices;
it was our little secret, one I would never reveal.
One day our family all went abroad
outside the rainforest, to our family’s farm.
What was a few became many months,
which in my head had set off an alarm.
Being lost in the rainforest for weeks on end
then making it back to the farm,
Jasper had slipped my mind! What a poor excuse!
I undoubtedly meant him no harm.
Finally getting in touch with The Raven Master
after my world had turned upside down,
so desperate to contact Jasper, my friend,
for he never knew why I had left town.
Dear Raven Master, my message was sent,
from my email, to which he replied:
“Oliver, I have not seen Jasper for many weeks.
I’m worried he just may have died.”
Eventually, I went back to my home in England
and waiting for me was a surprise.
My dad had bought a farm in the country
for he knew it would improve all our lives.
Scratch and I were playing outside
with my slingshot plane as it sailed.
It got caught in a gust, then stuck in a tree;
any rescue, we knew, would have failed.
Then out of nowhere, the plane, it dropped
and landed right next to my feet.
A big black bird followed behind it.
It was Jasper! How incredibly sweet!
My folks were okay for Jasper to stay,
our farm now his permanent home.
He got three meals a day, no more a stray.
Now Jasper was no longer lost or alone.