A Colorful Fantasy with Wondrous Characters in a Strange Land

Wakefield’s middle-grade novel draws readers into a lively world filled with strange creatures.

Alby is a stray cat adopted by Professor Wizoom, a scientist/inventor. Wizoom is building a special portal because he had a dream of himself “opening a triangular door…consumed by light as I walked through.” He’s unsure of where the door will lead but feels compelled to build it. He heads off to bed before running his final test, and Alby follows. The next morning, the feline awakens and finds Professor Wizoom gone. “Where did Wizoom go and where is my breakfast?” Alby wonders. Hours later, the triangular doorsparksand opens. Alby hears a faint voice calling: “Please help them….Find your courage.” Alby passes through the portal and enters the world of Jumbalot, which has “glimmering grass spotted with multicolored flowers… spiral-shaped mountains…like corkscrews.” He encounters amazing creatures, including some that combine elements of two or three animals, such as the evil “Shorkin” with a shark’s head, lizard-like body, and humanlike upper torso; the beast is one of “Rozer’s raiders.”

Alby befriends Fremmy, a “froguar,” and together they head to Kingdom of Jowla to find the professor and return home. In Jowla, they meet Queen Lola and see Rozer, a “wolvaraptor rex,” attacking the kingdom in retaliation for Queen Lola’s father destroying Rozer’s home, Wolvoon. Wakefield has created a fantastic fictional world in a story that centers on the “Gem of Jumbalot,” which gives strength and power to Queen Lola, and which Rozer desires. The conflict leads to an epic battle to restore Jumbalot to its glory. Wakefield’s creativity is sure to delight young readers, as he provides vivid, detailed imagery; Jumbalot, for instance, has “an immense pearlescent pyramid” with a gold-plated dome and buildings “painted with gleaming, bright-colored symbols.” His inventiveness continues in his black-and-white chapter illustrations depicting fantastic creatures of his fictional realm.

Kirkus Reviews

Fabulous Children's Preteen Fantasy which will Engage All Ages

"Journey to Jumbalot" showcases a fascinating and cleverly-done concept in a story featuring Alby, a rescued house cat who finds his courage as he follows Professor Wizoom, his owner, into a strange world where chaos is gathering and his burgeoning talents will become crucial to aid his new friends. Ryan Wakefield has created an enthralling mixture of "combination" animals that populate the land of Jumbalot and the accompanying illustrations are phenomenal. The author astutely builds a sense of escalating suspense into the book as Alby attempts to save his human, all culminating in a thrilling final action sequence. The characteristics of bravery, loyalty, and reconciliation are particularly emphasized in the conclusion. This book will grab the attention of readers of all ages and would make a fabulous movie. I can't wait to read further works by the author!

Amazon, ★★★★★

What a Cute Story

Journey to Jumbalot by Ryan Wakefield is a delightful YA/Pre-Teen story that captures the imagination and touches the heart. It follows the courageous Alby, an ordinary housecat who must transcend his feline limitations to embark on a thrilling adventure to save his mysteriously vanished owner.

One of the standout aspects of the story is its endearing characters, with Alby stealing the spotlight. Through Alby’s eyes, readers witness his transformation from an average housecat into a hero willing to face great challenges to rescue his beloved human. Alby’s determination and loyalty are truly inspiring, making him a lovable and relatable protagonist who had me smiling.

Wakefield’s storytelling skills shine brightly in this book. The narrative is filled with heartwarming moments and laced with humor and captivating plot twists that engage readers of all ages. Despite being aimed at a younger audience, Journey to Jumbalot effortlessly captivates readers of all ages, including those who may not be the book’s intended demographic.

Amazon, ★★★★

Finding Courage, Excitement, and Adventure in a New World

"An extraordinary world of courage, excitement, and adventure for kids. It teaches you to come out of your comfort zone and explore new traits and qualities. The new world is enchanting with glowing grass, green air, different colored moons, and cute named extraordinary talking animals. At the same time, it's dangerous and predators at your feet. Amidst this a fat, lazy cat needs to find her loving owner and take him back to his world."

Amazon, ★★★★★

Fun Adventure

"A crazy scientist and an inquisitive cat make for a fun, hilarious, but most of all charming adventure in Ryan Wakefield’s Journey to Jumbalot.

After his human enters a mysterious world via a door he created, Alby must go on a daring adventure to rescue him before it’s too late. The story is well written and engaging and I was actually sad to see it end. I really liked how well the cat’s personality is portrayed along with his other animal friends throughout the book making them seem so very endearing and realistic.

Wakefield is really a masterful writer and science fiction, and animal lovers alike will be sure to greatly enjoy Journey to Jumbalot."

Amazon, ★★★★★

Fun and Creative

"Journey to Jumbalot by Ryan Wakefield is a very fun and creative story about a housecat who needs to become a hero in order to save his owner. Alby has been rescued by a professor and now gets to live the dream life of a housecat with nothing to worry about. Sleep all day and play all night is the motto, until Alby sees the professor get pulled into a mysterious doorway and vanish. His savior gone and future uncertain, Alby dives through the door to try and save the professor. What waits on the other side is a world of strange new animals and warring factions. Alby gets caught in the middle and must rise to the occasion if he is to save his master.

This is a great book for young readers because of how easy it is to get lost in the unique characters and the fun story. Alby is a cool cat, but the characters and creatures he meets on his journey is what sold this for me. I would highly recommend this to anyone with a creative mind, but especially those who are younger."

Amazon, ★★★★★

Awesome Read

"When I saw the cover, I was really fascinated and had to look it up. Seeing it, I couldn't resist and bought it. And I was not disappointed. Mr Ryan Wakefield has an amazing imagination, giving names of all the different animals in that amazing world, he created, where Alby landed, his rescued cat, following his master through a doorway he had built, not knowing where he would land. He only knew, he had to find him. And what an adventure Alby had and saving the world from a tyrant.

Great read not only for children. I am not and I enjoyed it tremendously."

Amazon, ★★★★★

"Journey to Jumbalot” is a perfect story that can enhance and enrich children’s imagination and creativity. From unexpected and unordinary characters that are willing to fight their deepest fears to show love and care to the weirdest journey through an unimaginable world. This book is rich in values, morals and unlimited imagination.

The author of the book is called Ryan Wakefield, who seems to be acquainted with how to write books for this demanding audience.

In my opinion, the only things missing from this incredible reader are more drawings or pictures to accompany the text. I give this tale four stars out of five because I enjoyed reading it."

Goodreads, ★★★★

Fascinating

"This was such a fascinating read because it's the first time I've read about a feline with so much personality! I thought it was well-written and the author was able to capture the courageous nature of a scared cat that just wants to be reunited with its human! There is a lot of adventure and activity in the book, it is perfect to read if you enjoy an exciting storyline. If you're looking to relax, laugh, and find out what a brave cat thinks and acts like, then I would suggest that you read this book. The language is easy and enjoyable, and the setting in the book transported me to exciting visuals with pirates and daunting adventures."

Amazon, ★★★★

"Journey to Jumbalot would be great for cat lovers, animal lovers, and readers who enjoy books that immerse them in a world of magic and different types of envisioned creatures."

Readers' Favorite, Five Star Seal Award, ★★★★★

"In this electrifying installment, debut novelist Ryan Wakefield takes readers into a fantasy world filled with intelligent hybrid animals and magical wonders while exploring the themes of friendship, family, loyalty, courage, compassion, and responsibility."

BookView Reviews, Gold Seal of Recommendation Award

A Very Interesting Book!

"What a ride! Author Ryan Wakefield created a very interesting world where the story takes place. I was really intrigued after contemplating the cover for a while. My imagination started thinking what this could be about and I couldn't content myself to get it.

Even though this book is meant for younger readers, I think young adults are going to enjoy it as well. In fact, any reader who is into animal fiction will have a blast.

Also, I wanted to point out how important lesson we have with the cat character and all his actions, not letting the comfort zone win over his desire to do good and help others."

Amazon, ★★★★

"Journey to Jumbalot" is an ideal story that can enhance and upgrade kids' creative mind and imagination. From startling and remarkable characters that will battle their most profound feelings of dread to show love and care to the strangest excursion through an unbelievable world."

Goodreads, ★★★★★

An Unforgettable Journey

"I loved this book. It transmits a nice and useful lesson of bravery and self-improvement; all accompanied by beautiful illustrations and entertaining characters and dialogues. The author has developed with great mastery a fantasy adventure story that, I’m sure, will delight young and old alike. I strongly recommend it."

Amazon, ★★★★★

"The narrative is fluid, the plot tightly constructed, and the action scenes are thrilling. In Jumbalot, Ryan Wakefield has created an immersive world that young readers would like to return to again and again. This is a must read for the middle-grade fantasy lovers."

Goodreads, ★★★★★

"Journey to Jumbalot is a fascinating tale that makes great material for a fantasy movie for children. It is fast-paced and filled with surprises. I savored every bit of the story."

Readers' Favorite, ★★★★★

"Brimming with imagination and magical jumbled-up creatures, Journey to Jumbalot by Ryan Wakefield details the delightful adventure of a curious cat in a strange new world. In search of his human, Alby ventures to a land that is similar to our own, but doesn’t follow the same rules of physics, evolution, or basic reality. This wildly creative children’s title is ideal for young readers who enjoy the whimsy and fantasy of children’s books, but also want to move up in their reading level. The writing is straightforward and easy to read, the vocabulary is diverse, and there is a good amount of humor throughout the story. From a simple premise and an unlikely protagonist comes an expansive and entertaining new realm for readers to explore."

Self-Publishing Review, ★★★★½

Are you Craving a Wild Children’s Adventure Filled with Unusual Fantastical Creatures? Then you Definitely do not want to Miss Journey to Jumbalot!

"Upon reading the first pages of Journey to Jumbalot, by debut author Ryan Wakefield, readers will quickly discover that the story is more than just the journey of a housecat named Alby; it’s an adventure of epic proportions filled with exciting highs and lows and, the most intriguing part, hybrid animals. Journey to Jumbalot is a wonderful tale for middle-grade children in search of a read that’s a bit different from the usual fantasy-based story filled with goblins, dragons or talking animals.

Are you craving a wild children’s adventure filled with unusual fantastical creatures? Then you definitely do not want to miss Journey to Jumbalot!"

Feathered Quill

Loved It!

"I loved the creativity of a triangle doorway and the unique animal combinations!"

Reedsy Discovery, ★★★★

A Spectacular Tale of Tiny Beasts Making Big Differences

"Firephants, warthawks, and deermations keep our imaginations churning on this fantasy friendship adventure for the whole family—pets included!"

Independent Book Review

Adorable, Imaginative Story!

Absolutely adorable story! I love the imagination behind all of the creatures in this book, and it's even better that you get a little drawing of some of them at the beginning of chapters. It's a middle grade book so as long as you don't set your expectations too high, you should love it! Cats are definitely my favorite, so I enjoyed a cat being the hero of the story. Very well written as well.

Note: I received this book for free through Goodreads Giveaways.

Amazon, ★★★★★

Epic Adventure and Heroic Deeds in the Fantastic Realm of Jumbalot.

"Filled with dazzling color and action, this fantasy for children introduces readers to an unlikely protagonist in the form of a plump house cat named Alby, who is catapulted into a strange world of friends and enemies. When his beloved owner, professor Wizoom, vanishes one night, Alby uses the portal between world's in the professor's laboratory to follow his owner and to bring him back home and to safety. Finding himself in the magical realm of Jumbalot, Alby makes some friends and some enemies in his quest which leads him to unwittingly help defeat an evil menace and to recover a stone of remarkable power that has been stolen from the queen and ruler of the realm. Filled with magic, mystery, and a dash of strange science, Jumbalot is an electrifying fantasy world like no other and will thrill children of all ages with its originality and it's entertaining characters. Adults will also enjoy reading this to younger children as the plot is realistic and absorbing to read. This is the first in a series of books about the fantastic adventures of Alby, the cat and his owner, professor Wizoom."

Amazon, ★★★★★

Not Normally my Genre, but I couldn't Put it Down!

"Fun, creative, imaginative and exciting. I saved this book to read on my vacation, but that may have been a mistake, since, instead of looking out at the beautiful scenery at Florida's beaches, I had my nose buried in this wonderful adventure.

Along with the fun ride, it also teaches kids honor, ethics and fighting for what's right. Being a former owner of a tubby tabby, I exceptionally enjoyed reading about the hunger and heroics of Alby.
I really hope someone makes this into a movie - looks like a perfect fit to me!"

Amazon, ★★★★★