Return to the Amazon Wins Prestigious Benjamin Franklin Digital Award

January 23, 2014 (Santa Barbara, CA)
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
Media Contact:
Holly S. Lohuis
(805) 899-8899 x1
hlohuis@oceanfutures.org

Jean-Michel Cousteau’s Ocean Futures Society (OFS) is 
pleased to announce that Return to the Amazon has been named Gold Honoree of this year’s 
esteemed Benjamin Franklin Digital Awards, honoring the best in electronic book innovation.

“I am thrilled to receive this prestigious award on behalf of my incredible expedition team, who undertook 
this extraordinary journey with me, and my creative team who so vividly captured every sight, sound, smell, taste and touch of the forest in this ebook,” says Jean-Michel.

Administered by the Independent Book Publishers Association (IBPA), the Benjamin Franklin Digital Awards recognize excellence in independent publishing, seeking exceptional content, design and 
use of technology. “Return to the Amazon is just beautifully done,” rave the judges of the 2014 
Benjamin Franklin Digital Awards. “An outstanding book, full of great information and gorgeous pictures.”

Return to the Amazon invites readers aboard the Ariaú Açu ship on its epic voyage to the heart of the world’s largest tropical rainforest, exposing some of the secrets of a world made famous by towering legends and enshrouded in enigma for thousands of years.

Twenty-five years after he and his father, Jacques-Yves Cousteau, explored this fabled region, unveiling many of its mysteries for the first time, Jean-Michel returns with his own children—Fabien and Céline—
his OFS team and some of the original Calypso crew members, tracing some of their old footsteps while also treading into uncharted territory.

With more than 300 pages, hundreds of stunning images by renowned photographer Carrie Vonderhaar, exclusive photos from the personal collections of the original Cousteau team, never-before-seen expedition video footage and vivid stories, Return to the Amazon takes the reader inside tribal territory with the fearless Jaguar People, underneath murky waters with the legendary anaconda, deep into remote forest with gun-toting loggers, and just beyond the clutches of a monster dubbed simply “The Beast.” From emergency plane landings to being marooned in the middle of the Amazon River, this book offers readers an unprecedented behind-the-scenes look at an OFS adventure while delving into serious conservation issues as only a Cousteau expedition can, unearthing intriguing discoveries and stories of hope from the remotest corners of the jungle. All to chronicle Jean-Michel’s most ambitious—and most emotional—expedition yet.

“To most of the world, the Amazon rainforest is remote, but the influence it has on the world’s climate and us all is very near,” says Jean-Michel. “The Amazon is a part of our lives, and its existence guarantees the survival of the planet.”

Return to the Amazon will also be featured at the annual IBPA Publishing University, to be held March 21-22 in San Francisco.

Return to the Amazon ($5.99) is available worldwide on Apple's iBookstore℠.

About Ocean Futures Society
Jean-Michel Cousteau’s Ocean Futures Society was founded to explore the oceans, inspiring and educating people throughout the world to act responsibly for their protection and to celebrate their vital importance to the survival of all life on the planet. Ambassadors of the Environment represents the Society’s commitment to prepare the next generation for the responsibilities they will inherit to manage the planet’s biosphere. For more information, visit the website at www.oceanfutures.org.

About the Independent Book Publishers Association (IBPA)

Founded in 1983, the Independent Book Publishers Association (IBPA) is the largest not-for-profit trade organization for publishers in the United States. IBPA’s mission is to lead and serve the independent publishing community by providing advocacy, education, and tools for success. For more information, visit the website at www.ibpa-bfda.org