Rusty Coati

Aldo Galli was born in Lombardy, Italy, in 1966. He graduated in Agricultural Sciences at the University of Milan. Passionate about the natural world and a keen artist, he loves the wet on wet oil painting technique for his colorful illustrations. He explored the Peruvian Amazon in 2012 and 2022, finding the inspiration for Rusty Coati and his adventures, a children's book series in the rainforest. rustycoati.com

Rusty stared at his distant homeland from the bank."I have just crossed the Great River!" he shouted. "Will I find a territory? Could this part of the world be my forever home?"Rusty is a big coati now. As he looks for a new home, he travels through the forest and returns to the Great River, where the unexpected happens. His old enemy, Rongo the jaguar, traps him by the water's edge.In an incredible escape, Rusty is propelled to the far bank of the river and begins to explore the other side of the world, unaware that it conceals the most frightening threat to the animals and to the forest itself.ABOUT THE RUSTY COATI STORIESInspired and encouraged by his close friend, the late Richard Adams¿author of Watership Down, one of the most beloved and bestselling children's novels of all times¿Galli has created his own set of animal characters and adventures, with a rather peculiar protagonist: Rusty, the ring-tailed coati, a funny-looking creature, with a long snout and black and white markings on his face.The books are beautifully crafted and contain the original artwork based on Galli's travel and experiences in the Peruvian Amazon, studying native wildlife and plants and finding the inspiration for the series. Like in the Watership Down's 40th anniversary commemorative edition he had the honor of illustrating, the stories come to life in detailed and vibrant oil paintings on canvas, designed to transport young readers into Rusty's world and fire their imagination.With many additional facts about the Amazon jungle, the books are great educational tools for parents and teachers to help children discover its beauty and treasures and understand the importance of this place and why we must protect it.The series not only aims to offer charming tales to entertain kids but also wants to engage with a young audience about the environment and the natural world and seeks to raise awareness about the Amazon. This is a time when the rainforest needs all our help to preserve it for its unique animals and plants, for all the indigenous people who call it home, and for the future of our planet.