The Flying Beaver Brothers Books 1-6 by Maxwell Eaton III

Before I left for my trip at the beginning of November I didn't have any Cybil books to read but since book 6 of this series was nominated I decided to read all the books since my library had them. Unfortunately, I can't say I enjoyed them at all which was disappointing since I had enoyed a previous book by the same author immensely.


The Flying Beaver Brothers and the Evil Penguin Plan by Maxwell Eaton III
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Paperback, 96 pages
Published January 10th 2012 by Knopf Books for Young Readers

The Flying Beaver Brothers (#1)

 This series is for younger children, probably up to about age ten. It is full of action, in fact, everything zooms along in a sugar rush and pratfall humour is kept to a high. The penguins are cute as they pop-in here and there and the running joke whether they are puffins or penguins is cute. The penguins are not really evil, but their plan to freeze the island is thwarted. The book is coloured in shades of blue and grey.




The Flying Beaver Brothers and the Fishy Business by Maxwell Eaton III
My rating: 1 of 5 stars

Paperback, 96 pages
Published January 10th 2012 by Knopf Books for Young Readers

The Flying Beaver Brothers (#2)

The penguins return and are now living with the beaver brothers. They are the best part of this book. Otherwise, this is a boring, pseudo eco-lecture. Factories are bad, they only care about profits, they always lie and we should never make anything out of wood. The characters who at first side with the factory change their mind not because they care about the forest but because 1) their sleep is disturbed and 2) their commercial deal and big house are taken away. The book is coloured in shades of green (colour of the cover) and grey. Eco-didacticism.




The Flying Beaver Brothers and the Mud-Slinging Moles by Maxwell Eaton III
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Paperback, 96 pages
Published July 9th 2013 by Knopf Books for Young Readers

The Flying Beaver Brothers (#3)

This one is more like the first with a sugar rush of non-stop action and slapstick comedy. I'm not fond of the beaver brother themselves, but the penguins are still here, now in their own home as spoken of in the last volume. New characters introduced are the moles, of course, but also the marmot brothers who also live on the island so we may see them again. But no sight of the fish from the last volume though the volcano has now turned into a mountain. Lots of references to previous volumes such that I'd find it hard to make much sense of this if I hadn't read the others. The main theme here is brothers having spats, getting over it and sticking together in the end. Not great but not bad.




The Flying Beaver Brothers: Birds vs. Bunnies by Maxwell Eaton III
My rating: 2 of 5 stars

Paperback, 96 pages
Published July 9th 2013 by Knopf Books for Young Readers

The Flying Beaver Brothers (#4)

The beaver brothers get lost in a storm and end up on a different island; this one inhabited by birds and bunnies. By this time we know each book will be illustrated in the same colour as the cover so here we have shades of purple and grey. Many references to previous books and characters which will just seem unintelligible to readers who haven't read the previous books but will be fun to others who are keeping up with the series such as: "Give my best to Bruce." and "Fish Stix? Do you want one? No, they always break." The theme of this book is fighting; war if you get right down to it. The birds and bunnies are fighting each other but being controlled by someone else. The book is a whirlwind ride of action that moves from event to event and I can't say I'm very fond of the series at all.




The Flying Beaver Brothers and the Hot Air Baboons by Maxwell Eaton III
My rating: 1 of 5 stars

Paperback, 96 pages
Published August 5th 2014 by Knopf Books for Young Readers

The Flying Beaver Brothers (#5)

 One of the baboons keeps getting his named changed from Ringo to Bono, which little kids are not going to get. Sigh! Let's just leave it at not impressed.










The Flying Beaver Brothers and the Crazy Critter Race by Maxwell Eaton III
My rating: 1 of 5 stars

Paperback, 96 pages
Published March 10th 2015 by Knopf Books for Young Readers

The Flying Beaver Brothers (#6)

A sugar-rush of action from start to finish with characters and humour based on previous books. Not a recommended series.

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