top of page

Book Review: Max & Chaffy: Welcome to Animal Island by Jamie Smart (David Fickling Books)

Illustrated by Jamie Smart (mega talented!!)


For ages 5+


‘Max & Chaffy: Welcome to Animal Island’ by Jamie Smart (David Fickling Books, 2023). With a jolly sense of adventure and multiple mini-mysteries to solve, children who find highly illustrated texts more engaging to read will love this graphic novel series - after all reading for pleasure grows confident readers. Heartwarming and a celebration of friendship and community.  For ages 5+. Read my kids book reviews on my website thekidsbookscurator.com

About the book

🌱Hurrah! A new graphic novel series for 5-7 year olds by the legendary Jamie Smart! I’m so overjoyed. Welcome to the high-colour, bouncy, bubbly, cute and clever world of Max & Chaffy. This the first of 3 books publishing this year. This is a story told in full technicolour, sunshine, warmth and a few rainbows here and there for added serotonin/dopamine-enhancing effect. There are a multitude of characters in this series… only one of them is grumpy (some of the time). It’s a buzz!


‘Max & Chaffy: Welcome to Animal Island’ by Jamie Smart (David Fickling Books, 2023). With a jolly sense of adventure and multiple mini-mysteries to solve, children who find highly illustrated texts more engaging to read will love this graphic novel series - after all reading for pleasure grows confident readers. Heartwarming and a celebration of friendship and community.  For ages 5+. Read my kids book reviews on my website thekidsbookscurator.com
Words + Illustrations © Fumboo Ltd / Jamie Smart

🌱The story begins with the Boggle family-of-three taking a boat trip across the sea to Animal Island where Max’s dad is to become the new lighthouse keeper. Max’s mum is introduced to the readers as a naturalist, someone who likes to learn about plants and animals. Max is a mixed-heritage kid; dad is brown-skinned and mum is white-skinned. Max’s favourite thing is to find things, to be helpful. Sounds good to me. It’s not called 'Animal Island' for nothing. The Chief Constable is a moose, Orlando the pilot is a pig, Crumbles the baker is a mallard duck, and so on.


‘Max & Chaffy: Welcome to Animal Island’ by Jamie Smart (David Fickling Books, 2023). With a jolly sense of adventure and multiple mini-mysteries to solve, children who find highly illustrated texts more engaging to read will love this graphic novel series - after all reading for pleasure grows confident readers. Heartwarming and a celebration of friendship and community.  For ages 5+. Read my kids book reviews on my website thekidsbookscurator.com
Words + Illustrations © Fumboo Ltd / Jamie Smart

🌱The story has an overwhelming theme of being helpful. Max and his new found friend, Chaffy, are champions as finding lost items and reuniting them with their owners all over the island. The only problem they can’t seem to find the answer to where Chaffy belongs!


‘Max & Chaffy: Welcome to Animal Island’ by Jamie Smart (David Fickling Books, 2023). With a jolly sense of adventure and multiple mini-mysteries to solve, children who find highly illustrated texts more engaging to read will love this graphic novel series - after all reading for pleasure grows confident readers. Heartwarming and a celebration of friendship and community.  For ages 5+. Read my kids book reviews on my website thekidsbookscurator.com
Words + Illustrations © Fumboo Ltd / Jamie Smart

🌱With a jolly sense of adventure and multiple mini-mysteries to solve, children who find highly illustrated texts more engaging to read will love this series - after all reading for pleasure grows confident readers. Heartwarming and a celebration of friendship and community. It’ll turn any frown upside down!!



About the creator


Jamie Smart (author:illustrator)

Author:Illustrator, Jamie Smart

Jamie studied art at college for four years, but it was just an excuse to practise drawing animals with boggly-eyes. He drew loads of comics but eventually started doing actual books. His favourite things to draw are cats, skulls, pigs and cakes (these are also his favourite things in life). His worst things to draw are cars, football boots, horses and bats (these are also his least favourite things in life. Except horses. And bats). Jamie lives in Kent, just south of London. (Source: David Fickling Books)



Key themes

Caring for others

Helpfulness

Kindness

Belonging

Mixed-heritage families

Animal characters

Friendship

Community


Buy the book

Buy here through my Bookshop.org affiliate link or purchase from your local independent bookshop...


Format: Paperback

Publication date: 4 May 2023


For fans of...


Please like this post and leave me a comment, I'd love to hear your thoughts too

Comments


bottom of page