Illustrated ClassicsThis book does remind you a lot of Robinson Crusoe. Unlike Crusoe, a whole family of Robinsons are shipwrecked. Dad, mom Elizabeth, fifteen year old Fritz, Thirteen year old Jack, eleven year old Ernest and the youngest boy Francis, who is six.
They get stranded on an island and the father and sons immediately starts killing all the animals in sight, mother plants a vegetable garden , they build a tree house(all necessary tools and implements were left for them on the ship, which they later salvage).
In winter they bore into a cave and discover a salt mine. they thrive on an abundance of ostriches, flamingoes, giant turtles, fish, oysters,coconuts, cocoa,and hav a cow for milk, dogs to help them hunt, a donkey to carry load etc etc..they also discover cotton for making clothes...all of them automatically seem to know what to do with all the resources at hand...
Then they discover a bed of oysters with precious pearls, then the oldest, Fritz discovers a shipwrecked maiden Jenny ..few days later, another ship sails near their land. Fritz and Jack decide to return to europe with all their riches and Jenny also sails with then to go to her father...the rest of the Robinsons bid them goodbye and stay behind.
It has clearly been inspired by Crusoe, but in my opinion, it fails to meet the mark.
