Huxley and Flapjack: Wild West Escape

By Author / Illustrator

Alan MacDonald, illus Francesca Gambatesa

Genre

Comics & Graphic Novels

Age range(s)

Publisher

Little Tiger

ISBN

9781788957403

Format

Paperback / softback

Published

02-10-2025

Synopsis

Meet Huxley, an irrepressible koala with BIG ideas, and his best friend, Flapjack, a rather jumpy penguin. Flapjack would rather stay at home, but for Huxley, each new day sparkles with possibility and the chance of adventure!

When Huxley and Flapjack get jobs as cowhands, Huxley imagines himself sleeping under the stars and singing by the campfire - easy peasy! But when the herd goes missing, can he and Flapjack spot the clues and track down the cows before the farmer finds out? It's time to get MOO-ving!

Also in the series: Huxley and Flapjack Race to the Rescue; Huxley and Flapjack Trouble at Sea

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Reviews

Sue

Huxley, the impulsive koala, and Flapjack, the timid penguin, are back in a new adventure, Huxley and Flapjack: Wild West Escape!

Spotting an advert in the paper, Huxley decides that becoming a cowhand is the perfect way to earn some money. Not deterred when Flapjack points out that they can't even ride horses, Huxley accepts the job and the two friends find themselves in charge of a herd of cows. However, when they lose all the cows, they must track them all down before heading home to the farm.

Ideal for younger readers, Wild West Escape is another delightful escapade for these two loveable, and very different, friends! As usual, everything goes wrong as Huxley blithely wanders into a new situation, deaf to the cautious voice of Flapjack. Their series of mishaps will have children chuckling and then cheering as everything turns out right in the end! The story is full of gentle humour and packed with lively, colourful illustrations, making it a very engaging and enjoyable read.

One of the many lovely things about this story is that, like the others in the series, it allows for conversations about friendships. Huxley and Flapjack are very different characters and yet enjoy a close friendship. Whilst Huxley brings Flapjack out of his comfort zone and enables him to be more adventurous, there is also scope for gentle discussions about listening to the ideas and feelings of others with the more impetuous or dominant! Whilst Huxley and Flapjack's adventures never lead them into any real or lasting harm, there are times when Huxley should 'look before he leaps'!

As well as being very appealing, the illustrations offer plenty of additional information and 'clues' about what is going on in the text. Reactions to Huxley's guitar playing, Flapjack's many facial expressions and the duo's final task before they head home, are brilliantly captured in this way.

Perfect for cuddling up and sharing, the book also falls neatly into bridging the gap between picture books and longer reads!

96 pages / Reviewed by Sue Wilsher, teacher