Tuesday, June 17, 2014

On the Coffee Table: Maxwell Eaton III

Title: The Flying Beaver Brothers and the Evil Penguin Plan
Writer and Artist: Maxwell Eaton III
via Goodreads
Inspired by our daughter's recent penguin obsession, My Wife picked up this book.  It's possible there was a little lighthearted teasing involved.  Our Girl is not new to the idea of evil penguins, of course, being quite familiar with the Wallace & Gromit short, The Wrong Trousers.  In defiance, she sat down in the middle of the living room and breezed through the book in about 20 minutes.  Afterward, she set the book back on the floor and walked to her room, muttering, "They're not that evil..."

Obviously, I had to read it myself.  Ace and Bub are the Beaver Brothers.  They live on idyllic Beaver Island where, of course, they are preparing for a surfing competition.  It's a goofy children's story so we'll look past the fact that beavers (and walruses and polar bears, also featured in the book) are Northern Hemisphere animals whereas penguins only live in the Southern Hemisphere.  The "Evil Plan" involves using an old refrigerator, found abandoned in the ocean depths, to turn Beaver Island into a polar-themed resort.

The book is cute and fun but not especially substantive.  The artwork is simple and underwhelming.  Apart from the clever title and zany plot, I'm not sure it has much to recommend it.  Not exactly a book to avoid but probably not one to go out of your way for either.

8 comments:

  1. Well that's an honest review. Too many kids' books are not aimed at the appropriate level. Some young readers are more advanced, perhaps your daughter is one of those.

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    1. I don't think it's meant to be a sophisticated read for anyone. It's just fun. There's really nothing wrong with "just fun" but I'm looking for a little bit more.

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  2. If I got it for free I'd get it. My 5-year-old loves these types of books. I'm wishing you a gr8 Tuesday Dude.

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    1. You have a son, right? When he's ready, the Bone books are the way to go, I think.

      Happy Tuesday to you, too, Maurice!

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  3. I'm sure I won't be reading this, but it sounds like fun for the kids. It certainly is a blue book.

    Lee
    Tossing It Out

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