Max & Chaffy: Welcome to Animal Island

Max has just moved to Animal Island. There are lots of new friends to meet. Crumbles the baker, Foghorn the sailor (who is delightfully grumpy), Orlando the pilot… and Chaffy, the, er, chaffy. Max is excellent at finding things and returning them to their rightful place. But sometimes Max needs the reader’s help to spot the item in the picture. Chaffy is also good at finding things. But, together, can they find where Chaffy belongs?

This is a delightful young graphic novel – the first in a series that will no doubt be much loved, as with everything Jamie Smart creates. Lots of thought has gone into making it as appealing as possible to children who’ve just started school. The short text, mostly in speech bubbles, is perfectly pitched at beginner readers, and the font is very plain, with infant ‘a’s. The artwork is bright and full of energy. Cleverly, Max could be a boy or a girl, thus allowing every child who picks it up to imagine themselves in this fun world. And readers are encouraged to join in. There are frequent requests to spot Chaffy in a busy scene. At the end, there’s a list of things to go back and find in various locations on the island – with answers afterwards. Engaging, funny and charming.