Children's Book review

Dexter Bexley and the Big Blue Beastie

By Joel Stewart

Published by Doubleday

Dexter Bexley is scooting along one day, when he chances upon a Big Blue Beastie. The Beastie is bored and hungry but young Dexter is canny and thinks of different ways of distracting him. They set up a business together, become private detectives and go for a giant ice cream feast. But the Big Blue Beastie is still hungry and thinks that Dexter would make a perfect lunch. Dexter is clean out of ideas but in the meantime, the Big Blue Beastie has had a change of heart and realises that friendship is the best antidote to boredom of all. Joel Stewart's beautiful illustrations are reminiscent of Edward Ardizzone; his palette is rich and text is depicted imaginatively in speech bubbles and around the page. This book is a visual delight to be revisited time and time again.

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Illustrator: Joel Stewart

Reading age: 6+
Interest level: 4+