Buckley's Unexpected Adventure

by Dion Summergreene

[Sarah Says]

In this new #LoveOzMG title, Buckley the detector dog discovers a crate of smuggled animals. He befriends the only surviving chameleon, this leads to a return smuggling plan of his own. Cue wacky hijinks, plane flights, run ins with other not so friendly animals, police chases, and unintentionally bringing down a major smuggling ring in a Bangkok shipping port.

Buckley’s Unexpected Adventure reads like a Pixar movie and I mean that as a compliment.
It’d make a hilarious movie. Think Zootopia, crossed with The Secret Life Of Pets, and Isle Of Dogs.

As an adult I can appreciate all the lessons Dion is trying to fit in about animal cruelty, illegal animal trade, animal facts and general life lessons as part of and in and around the plot. I do wonder if it will make the intended MG audience's eyes glaze over. If it will be information overload or if they’ll be enthralled by it, soaking it all up with their wonderfully young sponge brains - I hope for the later. And never the less the action sequences are fantastically entertaining and humorous.

The ending is super cute and of course the good guys win and it’s a happily ever for Buckley and his friends.