Maisie Vs Antarctica – Jack Jackman

Published By: Nosy Crow
Pages: 272
Released On: 10/10/2024
Age Rating: 8-12

Maisie thinks her dad is the most boring person in the world. For fun he likes to do origami (but only  triangles) or jigsaw puzzles of a cloudless sky (yep, every piece is blue). But he also writes cool-sounding books like How To Wrestle A Crocodile and How To Defuse A Bomb, even though he’s never actually done any of the awesome things he writes about… or has he? 

When childcare falls through and Dad has to take Maisie to Antarctica to research his next book, How To Survive In Antarctica, Maisie realises there is DEFINITELY something unusual about Dad – not only can he speak languages she never knew he could, he manages to crash-land a plane and somehow save her from being eaten by a leopard seal!

Clearly Dad is keeping a BIG secret, and Maisie is determined to find out the truth. What she doesn’t realise is that she’ll discover some things about herself and what it really means to be a hero along the way. One thing is for sure – it’s going to be the adventure of a lifetime!

*****

Thanks to NetGalley and Nosy Crow for the advanced copy of this title in return for an honest review.

**Contains Slight Spoilers**

I am a sucker for a gorgeous cover, and a kids book, and winter…so this sounded perfect for me, even if I am 20 years older than the suggested age range.

I love it being from the point-of-view of Maisie because, just like readers her age, she doesn’t think her Dad is cool and can’t possibly have done all these amazing things he’s written about. Young children can’t imagine that their parents were ever young and cool and fun.

I didn’t realise just has magical it would be. I thought it would ‘just’ be a fun kids book where a kid goes on an adventure with her father. And it is that. But there’s this magic that flows underneath everything that gives it extra detail..

I read it in about an hour. It’s so fun and so easy to read. There’s not much there for adults to get their teeth into, but for the age range it’s perfect. There’s magic, adventure, fun, and danger. I read it with a great big smile on my face.

I believe it’s the first in a series which bodes well. There could be unlimited adventures Maisie and her Dad can go on. I could definitely see it being made into a TV short or something. I think the setting and the goings-on would suit the television screen very well.

I do love a good thriller, crime, or “intelligence” novel, but sometimes I just want a book about magic in the snow, and you just don’t get that with adult books, generally. Which is why I am a huge advocate for adults reading kids books, because sometimes we need to be reminded of the magic that reading can bring.