View source for Dexter Bexley And The Big Blue Beastie On The Road by Joel Stewart

{{infobox2
|title=Dexter Bexley And The Big Blue Beastie On The Road
|author=Joel Stewart
|reviewer=Keith Dudhnath
|genre=For Sharing
|summary=A jolly romp with Dexter Bexley, the Big Blue Beastie, a dragon and a princess, making as much noise as they possibly can. It's heavy on adventure, but strikes a gentle tone, making it lots of fun for the little 'uns. Joel Stewart was kind enough to be [[The Interview: Bookbag Talks To Joel Stewart|interviewed by Bookbag]].
|rating=3.5
|buy=Yes
|borrow=Yes
|isbn=978-0385617727
|pages=32
|publisher=Doubleday
|date=May 2010
|aznuk=0552561126
|aznus=0552561126
|cover=0552561126
|website=http://www.joelstewart.co.uk/
}}

Dexter Bexley and the Big Blue Beastie are hooting and hooting and hooting. Everyone in town is sick to the back teeth of their incessant hooting, so they kick them out of town. Dexter and the Beastie hit the road, hooting as they go, embarking on a rollicking adventure and meeting up with a princess and a dragon.

''...On The Road'' is a jolly read and a quality sequel to the popular original ''Dexter Bexley And The Big Blue Beastie''. It's action-packed (hooting features quite heavily) and simple to follow. The vocabulary is clear and punchy, making it ideal for little 'uns. Whilst the strong focus on plot might not engage slightly older readers quite so much, those who are just starting to read for themselves will find enough to pique their interest. Using speech bubbles as part of reported speech gives it a feel of a comic-cum-picture book, which will also engage those reading for themselves.

There's something very comforting about Joel Stewart's illustrations. The pen and ink drawings have a cosy and traditional feel to them, particularly when drawing people. The Beastie and the dragon maintain this warmth (they're not supposed to be scary) but have a freshness to them that permeates the whole book. Words and pictures are woven together perfectly - as with the aforementioned speech bubbles - and it's great fun to pore over.

Although the gentle tone works really well, the Beastie and dragon could just as easily have been people. I'm not suggesting they should have been rampaging monsters, but they do feel slightly underused. Whilst on minor niggles, the joke right at the end doesn't quite pop. Neither issue detracts from the overall quality of a pleasant and enjoyable read. Well worth a look.

My thanks to the publishers for sending it to Bookbag.

If it's dragons you want, check out [[Sir Laughalot by Tony Mitton and Sarah Warburton]]. The rhino in [[Rhino? What Rhino? by Caryl Hart and Sarah Horne]] has a feel of a big blue beastie about him. For adventure in general, you'll love [[Dear Miss by Amy Husband]].

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