Review by Frank Plowright

All is not well on Animal Island. Crumbles the baker has lost his touch, and instead of his food turning out delicious, everything is going wrong. He’s even managed to explode a jelly. It was so different when he started out alongside partner Sprinkles, who’s now working on Food Island. It turns out things aren’t greatly better there and what should be first class food tastes yukky.

While Crumbles, Max and Chaffy are the focus, Jamie Smart ensures a cameo for other Max & Chaffy regulars, the best of them being Forghorn’s grumpy refusal to use his boat to transport folk to Food Island. Fortunately other methods are available.

As ever, this isn’t just a story. Smart includes puzzles, most frequently a spread where the object is to find where Chaffy’s hiding, but back of the book information directs readers to find other things hidden in those pictures. The other quest is locating Chaffies, quite of a few which are discovered. Food Island has several sections, and the best combination of joke with journey is the conveyor belt taking Max and Chaffy to Sushi Land.

Bright, simple and colourful illustrations give young readers plenty to look at, and Smart maximises the attraction of some dubious culinary concoctions. Let’s hope no children reading expect their parents to provide burger spaghetti.

The overall problem to be solved is just why all the food tastes yukky. Smarter kids might pick up on the clue of all the chaffies being in areas other than their usual location, and all is cheerfully solved by the end. Once again, charm and imagination prove the ideal ingredients.