Books with author Arthur Robbins

Straight from the critically-acclaimed “Macavity The Mystery Cat” by T.S. Elliott, master illustrator Arthur Robins takes us from the world of felonious felines to flying canines. Now his witty and “brilliantly wobbly illustrations” as described in a recent Read It Daddy review of Macavity, bring joy to a story about a low-to-the-ground dachshund and how he uses his special gift to soar above his shortcomings. Max The Flying Sausage—A Tail from London is the first in an upcoming series of high-flying Max adventures.

This is hands down one of our favorite books ever—The Picture Book Review This book is pure magic. My eldest son loves this book so much that he actually applauded at the end and then asked for us to reread it immediately. He also laughed the hardest I have ever seen him laugh at anything. I had to stop reading and wait for him to calm down because he was laughing so hard. The first time I read it to him, I thought it was a fluke, maybe he’s just tired and giggly. But no, on each subsequent readings, he giggles and squeal and has a blast. It’s incredibly satisfying to read this magical book to him because it makes us so happy and giggly. I hope you get a chance to check out Max the Flying Sausage Dog. It’s great fun! I also hope that your little ones laugh as hard and enjoy this book as much as mine does. When 7-year old Tom rescues a funny looking little dachshund from the dog pound, he has no idea that they’re about to take off on a series of high-flying adventures—literally. Max has a tail that spins instead of wagging, and when it spins really fast, he can actually fly!

"…A PEPPERY WIT INFORMS THIS GENTLE STORY THROUGHOUT.…DEFT STORYTELLING, HUMOR, AND HEART."—Kirkus ReviewsCriminal activity at the local dog pound and a dream about the queen of England figure into this funny, charming tale about a 7-year-old boy and his flying dachshund.Young Tom’s pet “sausage dog,” Max, a rescue from the local pound, has an unusual, secret gift. When he whirls his tail, he can fly, and whenever Tom arrives home from school, Max greets him by zooming like a helicopter into his arms. But in this follow-up to Max the Flying Sausage Dog: A Tail from London (2014), a dog-pound manager and an odd-looking policeman confiscate Max, claiming that his original owner has been found. That night, Tom dreams that he asks the queen of England—a fellow dog lover—for help, and she threatens to jail the pound manager in the Tower of London if he doesn’t release Max. The authors aim a sly bit of humor at adults when Tom tells the queen that his mum always says “patience is a virtue,” and the queen responds, “That’s what I’ve been telling my son, Charles, for years.” Indeed, a peppery wit informs this gentle story throughout. The strange policeman, for instance, is “tall and thin with an Adam’s apple that stood out like a pickled onion,” and Robins’ offbeat illustrations are a spot-on match to the descriptions, with comic details to engage the eye. Tom and his mother team up to rescue Max and confront the bad guys—“Mum can be pretty frightening when she gets a certain voice on,” Tom says—and chaos ensues as whirligig Max leads the chase to rescue other pooches, too. The book includes a helpful list of words and phrases used in the story that are common in England: dachshund is pronounced “dash-hound”; “Telly” is short for “television”; “Lovely jubbly” is “money”; and in cockney rhyming slang, “my boots,” becomes “Me daisy roots.” The book ends with an endearing coda: a photo of the real-life inspiration for the Max character (“Could he fly? / That will remain a secret forever”).A thoroughly enjoyable book for young readers featuring deft storytelling, humor, and heart.

This offbeat tale delivers a winning mix of quirky humor, real-life dilemmas, plot-propelling canine aeronautics, and a dash of compassion.–Kirkuk ReviewsTaking a new way home from the park, 7-year-old Tom encounters a trio of “not very nice blokes” and fears the worst. But the three bullies, rather than harassing Tom and his “sausage dog, Max” (who can secretly fly, thanks to his rotating tail), look frightened, cross the street, and take off running. Tom realizes that he is standing in front of the eerie house that is home to a mysterious someone known to his peers as the “Wicked Witch of Windy Way.” When Tom learns that the “Witch” is in reality Miss Amersham, a lonely old woman whose own beloved dachshund has died, he decides to keep it to himself, show up the bullies, and fulfill a Cub Scout goal by cleaning up her tangled garden. How Tom solves his bully problem involves Miss Amersham’s discovery of Max’s secret and her illuminating advice, his mom’s clean laundry, a nighttime campout, and the dachshund’s tail-whirling enthusiasm for grilled sausages. This is the latest book in the “Max” series about an English boy and his special pup by O’Driscoll and Kelley (Tails From the Pound, 2015, etc.). Although it offers less sly, poke-in-the-ribs humor than the authors’ previous volumes, the genuine fun and unsentimental charm in the telling remain intact. Robins’ eccentric full- and partial-page illustrations—a fluid line, rich in detail and color—are again a delight, balancing sweetness and comedy with expert artistry and wit. The authors again include a page of words and phrases unfamiliar to young American readers: “Working a treat” means something is working very well. Dachshund is pronounced “dash-hound.” “Y-Fronts” are boys’ underwear. As before, the last page offers a captioned photo of the real, now-departed Max. –Kirkuk Reviews

This offbeat tale delivers a winning mix of quirky humor, real-life dilemmas, plot-propelling canine aeronautics, and a dash of compassion. Robins’ eccentric full and partial-page illustrations—a fluid line, rich in detail and color—are again a delight, balancing sweetness and comedy with expert artistry and wit...genuine fun and unsentimental charm. —Kirkus ReviewsTaking a new way home from the park, 7-year-old Tom encounters a trio of “not very nice blokes” and fears the worst. But the three bullies, rather than harassing Tom and his “sausage dog, Max” (who can secretly fly, thanks to his rotating tail), look frightened, cross the street, and take off running. Tom realizes that he is standing in front of the eerie house that is home to a mysterious someone known to his peers as the “Wicked Witch of Windy Way.” When Tom learns that the “Witch” is in reality Miss Amersham, a lonely old woman whose own beloved dachshund has died, he decides to keep it to himself, show up the bullies, and fulfill a Cub Scout goal by cleaning up her tangled garden. How Tom solves his bully problem involves Miss Amersham’s discovery of Max’s secret and her illuminating advice, his mom’s clean laundry, a nighttime campout, and the dachshund’s tail-whirling enthusiasm for grilled sausages. This is the latest book in the “Max” series about an English boy and his special pup by O’Driscoll and Kelley (Tails From the Pound, 2015, etc.). Although it offers less sly, poke-in-the-ribs humor than the authors’ previous volumes, the genuine fun and unsentimental charm in the telling remain intact. Robins’ eccentric full- and partial-page illustrations—a fluid line, rich in detail and color—are again a delight, balancing sweetness and comedy with expert artistry and wit. The authors again include a page of words and phrases unfamiliar to young American readers: “Working a treat” means something is working very well. Dachshund is pronounced “dash-hound.” “Y-Fronts” are boys’ underwear. As before, the last page offers a captioned photo of the real, now-departed Max.TAILS FROM THE POUND (Book Two)“...deft storytelling, humor, and heart...a peppery wit informs this gentle story throughout...the authors aim a sly bit of humor at adults. Robins’ offbeat illustrations are a spot-on match to the descriptions, with comic details to engage the eye.A thoroughly enjoyable book for young readers.”—Kirkus Reviews, January 2016A TAIL FROM LONDON (Book One)“This is hands down one of our favorite books ever”This book is pure magic. My eldest son loves this book so much that he actually applauded at the end and then asked for us to reread it immediately. He also laughed the hardest I have ever seen him laugh at anything. I had to stop reading and wait for him to calm down because he was laughing so hard.—The Picture Book Review

"MAX THE FLYING SAUSAGE DOG IS BACK IN AN ADORABLE NEW PICTURE BOOK FOR YOUNGER READERS!"A fun introduction to Max and Tom’s story, Tom’s Birthday Tail is a fun read for little ones who aren’t quite ready for sharing or reading chapter books just yet. With big, clear text and full page illustrations, there is plenty to look at and talk about as you read. Yet again, Arthur Robins has brought the book to life with his illustrative magic that is just perfect for this style of book.Each page of the story has a couple of lines of story followed by a question for the reader either about themselves or the story. I love how interactive this makes the book – it’s not just me reading to Tori and Arthur, they get to join in and have a say without having to do any reading themselves.That said, the chunky, simple text is perfect for Arthur at the moment. He is just learning to read and being able to read a Max book all by himself has made him a very happy boy indeed. Plus he LOVES making me answer all the questions as he reads it aloud!This little book is great for introducing the world of Max The Flying Sausage Dog to younger readers and is a wonderful addition to the collection for those of us who are already fans. CaroleHeidi.com

CAN YOU IMAGINE A NEW MAX BOOK? Introducing AN IMAGINARY TAIL. The new Max picture book where your child helps tell the story. (Each page of the story has a couple of lines of story followed by a question for the reader either about themselves or the story. Great for under 5 year olds.) Here's what Carole Heidi had to say about Picture Book One: A fun introduction to Max and Tom’s story, Tom’s Birthday Tail is a fun read for little ones who aren’t quite ready for sharing or reading chapter books just yet. With big, clear text and full page illustrations, there is plenty to look at and talk about as you read. Yet again, Arthur Robins has brought the book to life with his illustrative magic that is just perfect for this style of book. Each page of the story has a couple of lines of story followed by a question for the reader either about themselves or the story. I love how interactive this makes the book – it’s not just me reading to Tori and Arthur, they get to join in and have a say without having to do any reading themselves. That said, the chunky, simple text is perfect for Arthur at the moment. He is just learning to read and being able to read a Max book all by himself has made him a very happy boy indeed. Plus he LOVES making me answer all the questions as he reads it aloud! This little book is great for introducing the world of Max The Flying Sausage Dog to younger readers and is a wonderful addition to the collection for those of us who are already fans. CaroleHeidi.com

Perfect for the Thanksgiving Weekend Max The Flying Sausage Dog and The Turkey Tail. A Thanksgiving story and coloring book. It’s Thanksgiving. And Tom’s cousin, James, is visiting from Boston in the United States. After Tom and Max show him all the sights in London, it’s time for turkey. But Max detects sausage stuffing. And that’s where things start to go wrong. Illustrated by Arthur Robins. Colored by you!