Max Booth Future Sleuth: Stamp Safari, a book review

Title: Max Booth Future Sleuth: Stamp Safari (book 3)
by: Cameron Macintosh
illustrated by: Dave Atze
Publisher: Big Sky Publishing

A tiny piece of paper from the year 2019 might not sound very interesting to most people. But Max and Oscar – Bluggsville’s sharpest sleuths – aren’t most people! Max has a hunch that this ancient patch of paper might be valuable, and extremely rare.
Max is right – this isn’t just any old piece of paper. It’s a strange, sticky thing called a postage stamp, and it’s more than 400 years old! It’s an exciting discovery, but before long, it leads Max and Oscar into some very sticky situations…

Max Booth Future Sleuth: Stamp Safari, is a thoroughly enjoyable chapter book. This story, and indeed the series, is set in the future, 2424, but looks back to the past.

The main character, Max Booth, has an adorable robo dog (a beagle-bot) named Oscar. He is loyal, but also creates some hilarious misadventures. When Oscar, the robodog, wiggles his nose into a pile of gadgets, something sticks to the side of his snout. It happens to be a picture of Neptune Williams, and their curiosity about the sticky square sets them on a quest to find out exactly what it is: why it is sticky, and from what age is comes from?

Artist, Dave Atze, has added a fun flavour to the chapter book with his expressive character illustrations, creating an extra layer to the book. Readers will appreciate the humour and the feel-good style to his artwork.

Another bonus of this chapter book, written by talented author, Cameron Macintosh, is the clever addition of factual information about the origins of the stamp, where you, the reader, will be surprised about its beginnings.

I highly recommend Max Booth Future Sleuth: Stamp Safari, as a high interest chapter book for the reluctant and independent reader. The futuristic lingo is both quirky and fun, and the story is packed with action that will have readers zooming through history and the 130 pages in record time.

Purchase a copy: max-booth-future-sleuth-book-3/

Title: Max Booth Future Sleuth Stamp Safari (book 3)
by: Cameron Macintosh
illustrated by: Dave Atze

Publisher: Big Sky Publishing
ISBN: 9781925520606
Category: childrens, sci-fi, adventure
Pages: 130

Reviewed by Julieann Wallace
(Dip T, B. Ed, Author, Illustrator, Tea Ninja, Cadbury Chocolate Annihilator)
https://www.facebook.com/julieannwallaceonethousandwords/
https://www.julieannwallaceauthor.com/

Julieann is a member of:

Cat Spies Mouse, a book review

Title: Cat Spies Mouse
by: Rina A Foti
illustrated by: Dave Atze
Publisher: Big Sky Publishing

What happens when an impatient and arrogant cat spies a humble and patient mouse?
An exciting read-aloud story about how a small mouse who asks BIG questions changes the world.

Author, Rina A Foti has written a story that has a theme that young children are familiar with in the animal world – mouse vs cat and cat vs dog. Kids will totally get it. They will also understand the repeated words, “That’s not fair!”

Illustrator, Dave Atze has created colourful, likeable characters that leap off the page,  showing their personality through facial expressions, poses and humour that will attract children’s interest and make them giggle, but also help to develop empathy for the under-dog character in each situation.

There is no doubt that this story will open up discussion on the topic of fairness – at school, as well as at home, and question the notion about doing things without thinking, just because “that is what is expected”, or “that is the way it has always been done”. But why? And is it reasonable, or fair?

There are two outstanding take-aways from this tale: one is the courage and bravery of the mouse to question what cat is doing, and the other is that the cat can absolutely not understand how mouse feels, until what he is doing to mouse, happens to him. It’s kind of satisfying to see him get a taste of his own medicine, plus being covered in dog-stomach-goop at the end.

Purchase a copy: Cat Spies Mouse picture book

Title: Cat Spies Mouse
by: Rina A Foti
illustrated by: Dave Atze
Publisher: Big Sky Publishing
ISBN: 9781925675344
Category: Children, Fiction, Humour, Inspiration, Social Issues
Pages: 32

This book was given to Julieann by Big Sky Publishing for review.

Reviewed by Julieann Wallace
(Dip T, B. Ed, Author, Illustrator, Tea Ninja, Cadbury Chocolate Annihilator)
https://www.facebook.com/julieannwallaceonethousandwords/
https://www.julieannwallaceauthor.com/

Julieann is a member of:

Curly Tales, book review

 

 

 

 

 

 

Title: Curly Tales – stories with a short twist
by: Bill Condon
illustrated by: Dave Atze
Publisher: Big Sky Publishing

Let your imagination soar with these funny fables about the extraordinary adventures of ordinary animals. Laugh out loud and enjoy twisted tales of a super smart cow, a daredevil flea, an earthworm who daydreams of being an anaconda, and many more.

Author, Bill Condon, has written 14 short stories that have an unexpected twist at the end of the tale. Interwoven into the story are classic proverbs that you don’t see coming until the finale of the short story, and then these have fun with word play.

The short stories are perfect for one a day stories, or for the avid reader, to read the entire book in one go. Illustrator, Dave Atze, has captured the sense of humour of the words with zest in his illustrations, making me want to take out my textas and colouring-in pencils and add my own signature of colour splash for each short story.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

At the end of the book is a section titled: Proverbs, Sayings, Wisdoms and Advice. This is a much needed addition, as I feel that children of the last two generations are not at all familiar with proverbs, or even fables that have a moral to the story.

Curly Tales is an enjoyable book of short stories that can be used to introduce children to proverbs, as well as using a play on words of the proverbs used, inviting them into the world of 680 (that I found) once familiar proverbs and sayings (http://www.phrases.org.uk/meanings/proverbs.html) that were well known around the world, once upon a time.

Purchase a copy: bigskypublishing.com.au/Books/Children/Curly-Tales

Title: Curly Tales – short stories with a twist
by: Bill Condon
illustrated by: Dave Atze
Publisher: Big Sky Publishing
ISBN: 9781925520590
Category: children’s fiction
Pages: 130

Reviewed by Julieann Wallace
(Dip T, B. Ed, Author, Illustrator, Tea Ninja, Cadbury Chocolate Annihilator)
www.facebook.com/julieannwallaceonethousandwords/
https://www.julieannwallaceauthor.com/

Julieann is a member of:
Queensland Writers Centre https://qldwriters.org.au/
Write Links http://www.brisbanewritelinks.com/
Share Your Story Australia https://sharingyourstory.com.au/

 

The Three Legged Kangaroo From Uluru – a book review

 

 

The Three Legged Kangaroo From Uluru
By Michelle Worthington
Illustrated by Dave Atze
Published by Big Sky Publishing

 

 

The three legged kangaroo from Uluru is different. But when a man with a tan in a funny red van stumbles into the outback, this little kangaroo sets off on an amazing journey from the red rock to the blue waves. He discovers that belonging to a family is about celebrating what makes us unique.

The magnificent Uluru, sun, surf, beach and a Kombi van, plus Australian animals—it’s all in The Three Legged Kangaroo From Uluru, written  by multi-published, international award winning author Michelle Worthington, and wonderfully illustrated by Dave Atze.

A young kangaroo is laughed at by others, as his kinked tail makes him look like he has three legs instead of two. When a red rickety, ticket Kombi van comes looking for the beach but accidentally rocks up in the middle of Australia at Uluru, the three legged kangaroo greets the tourists with kindness, and hears about ‘waves’ in W.A. The three legged kangaroo joins his new friends and goes in search of the famous waves. With a new found love of surfing, the kangaroo masters riding the waves with an incredibly perfect balance, and discovers a new tribe of people who celebrate his success and uniqueness, and accept him as he is.

Illustrator, Dave Atze, has created an adorable kangaroo with varying facial expressions that give the character an instant likeable status. The colours throughout the book are vibrant, inviting and fun, and you will find yourself smiling due to the huge dose of cuteness that oozes from the kangaroo on every page.

Children will enjoy this feel good story. They will join in with the chanting of the kangaroo’s name as the new friends celebrate the new member of their beach family. The Three Legged Kangaroo From Uluru is a wonderful tale highly recommended for discussion about choosing to look at ability, instead of focusing on disability.

Purchase a copy: http://www.bigskypublishing.com.au/Books/Children/The-Three-Legged-Kangaroo-from-Uluru-HB/1178/productview.aspx
Connect with Michelle Worthington at: http://www.michelleworthington.com/
https://www.facebook.com/michelleworthington.author/
Connect with Dave Atze at:
http://www.daveatze.com/
https://www.facebook.com/daveatzeillustration/

title: The Three Legged Kangaroo From Uluru
author: Michelle Worthington
illustrator: Dave Atze
Publisher: Big Sky Publishing
ISBN: 9781925520392 (PB)
ISBN: 9781925520415 (HB)
Category: Children
Pages: 32

Reviewed by Julieann Wallace
(Dip T, B. Ed, Author, Illustrator, Editor, tea ninja, Cadbury chocolate annihilator)
www.facebook.com/julieannwallaceonethousandwords/
https://www.julieannwallaceauthor.com/

Member of:
QLD Writers Centre
Write Links
Share Your Story