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Buckley's Unexpected Adventure
Inspired by the author's love of animals and current real world issues — this debut middle grade fiction novel tells the story of those without a voice, the animals exploited by illegal animal trade. The story follows Buckley, an Australian Detector Dog, on a truly wild international adventure as he ventures deep into the dangerous world of animal smuggling.Overcoming feelings of self-doubt and helplessness, a fire is ignited in Buckley as he is propelled from a world of structure and safety into risky situations, in order to track down who is behind the animal smuggling ring. To find out more about Buckley’s Unexpected Adventure visit www.buckleysadventure.com
225 pages, Paperback
Published April 13, 2019
2 people want to read
About the author
Dion Summergreene
1 book1 followerDion Summergreene was born in Sydney, New South Wales in 1980 and was creative from a very young age. He was always drawing and developing his own comic strips (usually based on his pet walking fish). Growing up in the 80s, he was surrounded by endless inspiration and inevitably became engulfed by the waves of pop culture icons that rippled across the globe.
He was very compassionate about animals and would often bring home injured or stray animals whilst also meticulously looking after his ever-growing menagerie of pets. Most weekends you could find Dion either in front of the TV drawing characters from a paused animated movie scene, or out climbing trees and exploring in the creek near his home.
After completing school, Dion began his career path by working for an international theme park operator on the Gold Coast as a graphic designer. Growing with the business, Dion moved his way up to the position of Art Director of consumer products, allowing him to create award-winning merchandise utilising not only some of the world’s most iconic brands such as Warner Bros., DC Comics and Nickelodeon but also creating his own original characters.
Dion is constantly channelling his inner child and the creative switch is rarely switched off, allowing countless ideas to conjure from every corner of his mind. There was one niggling idea he had about pitching an animated TV series that was set in the Customs department of an airport, focussed on a young detector dog and the ever-changing manifest of animals that passed through there.
Combining Dion’s love of animals, adventure and passion for conservation, Buckley’s Unexpected Adventure was brought to life and was written whilst awaiting the arrival of his second child.
Today, Dion resides on the Gold Coast with his wife and two children. When Dion is not writing or designing, he is outdoors and enjoying time with his family, absorbing the new and endless supply of inspiration that now flow from his kids and the world they surround themselves with.
He was very compassionate about animals and would often bring home injured or stray animals whilst also meticulously looking after his ever-growing menagerie of pets. Most weekends you could find Dion either in front of the TV drawing characters from a paused animated movie scene, or out climbing trees and exploring in the creek near his home.
After completing school, Dion began his career path by working for an international theme park operator on the Gold Coast as a graphic designer. Growing with the business, Dion moved his way up to the position of Art Director of consumer products, allowing him to create award-winning merchandise utilising not only some of the world’s most iconic brands such as Warner Bros., DC Comics and Nickelodeon but also creating his own original characters.
Dion is constantly channelling his inner child and the creative switch is rarely switched off, allowing countless ideas to conjure from every corner of his mind. There was one niggling idea he had about pitching an animated TV series that was set in the Customs department of an airport, focussed on a young detector dog and the ever-changing manifest of animals that passed through there.
Combining Dion’s love of animals, adventure and passion for conservation, Buckley’s Unexpected Adventure was brought to life and was written whilst awaiting the arrival of his second child.
Today, Dion resides on the Gold Coast with his wife and two children. When Dion is not writing or designing, he is outdoors and enjoying time with his family, absorbing the new and endless supply of inspiration that now flow from his kids and the world they surround themselves with.
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Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews
July 19, 2019
Full review to come. Look out on my blog for my tour stop!
heartwarming.
heartwarming.
February 19, 2021
Buckley’s Unexpected Adventure tackles a big, real world problem by taking kids on an adventure with a familiar face – that of an adorable German Shepherd. Buckley is an energetic, loyal, and proud detector dog at the Brisbane International Airport in QLD, Australia. On one of his shifts Buckley discovers an illegal shipment of exotic animals and that’s where his unexpected adventure begins.
The whole time I was reading Buckley’s Unexpected Adventure I imagined it as one of those Disney movies about dogs that can talk. Especially the Christmas ones where there’s one big catastrophe and the helpful pooch swoops in to save the day. Funnily enough, Buckley’s Unexpected Adventure was actually set during Christmastime so I feel like this comparison was made even more perfect. In all honesty I think Buckley’s Unexpected Adventure would make an excellent kids film because it has just the right amount of cuteness and humour, but it’s also teaching kids about a real issue – that of the illegal animal trade.
Aside from feeling like the perfect kids film about a dog, Buckley’s Unexpected Adventure read like a book a kid could really fall in love with. Buckley is an adorable protagonist who isn’t perfect but certainly tries his hardest. He really cares about animals, and he is passionate about his job. But Buckley’s life isn’t all sunshine and rainbows. He has to deal with bullying from his brothers and resentment from his father because of his small size and his career as a detector dog instead of a police dog. I feel like this element of the story could have good parallels to things that happen in a kid’s life, and the message at the end is to be proud of who you are, and know that you can achieve the things you set out to – even if they get a bit derailed along the way (like Buckley’s!).
Alongside the endearing protagonist, the side characters in Buckley’s Unexpected Adventure are cute and quirky as well and I feel like they add the perfect ingredient to the book. There’s the little mouse Bo, who is Buckley’s best friend and a chronic joke-cracker, and Ciara, who is the only surviving chameleon in the shipment that Buckley finds at the beginning of the story. Along the way the trio meet a range of creatures, all of which have their own back stories and motivations. Each character brought something different to the story, and helped Buckley and his friends on their journey.
All in all, Buckley’s Unexpected Adventure is a book that animal lovers both young and old will enjoy. By mixing a heavy topic like illegal animal trade with cute antics from adorable characters Buckley’s Unexpected Adventure takes the reader on a ride they won’t soon forget.
© 2019, Chiara @ Books for a Delicate Eternity. All rights reserved.
trigger warning: animal death, animal cruelty, bullying, use of ableist language, apparent death of a friend, reference to past animal abuse
The whole time I was reading Buckley’s Unexpected Adventure I imagined it as one of those Disney movies about dogs that can talk. Especially the Christmas ones where there’s one big catastrophe and the helpful pooch swoops in to save the day. Funnily enough, Buckley’s Unexpected Adventure was actually set during Christmastime so I feel like this comparison was made even more perfect. In all honesty I think Buckley’s Unexpected Adventure would make an excellent kids film because it has just the right amount of cuteness and humour, but it’s also teaching kids about a real issue – that of the illegal animal trade.
Aside from feeling like the perfect kids film about a dog, Buckley’s Unexpected Adventure read like a book a kid could really fall in love with. Buckley is an adorable protagonist who isn’t perfect but certainly tries his hardest. He really cares about animals, and he is passionate about his job. But Buckley’s life isn’t all sunshine and rainbows. He has to deal with bullying from his brothers and resentment from his father because of his small size and his career as a detector dog instead of a police dog. I feel like this element of the story could have good parallels to things that happen in a kid’s life, and the message at the end is to be proud of who you are, and know that you can achieve the things you set out to – even if they get a bit derailed along the way (like Buckley’s!).
Alongside the endearing protagonist, the side characters in Buckley’s Unexpected Adventure are cute and quirky as well and I feel like they add the perfect ingredient to the book. There’s the little mouse Bo, who is Buckley’s best friend and a chronic joke-cracker, and Ciara, who is the only surviving chameleon in the shipment that Buckley finds at the beginning of the story. Along the way the trio meet a range of creatures, all of which have their own back stories and motivations. Each character brought something different to the story, and helped Buckley and his friends on their journey.
All in all, Buckley’s Unexpected Adventure is a book that animal lovers both young and old will enjoy. By mixing a heavy topic like illegal animal trade with cute antics from adorable characters Buckley’s Unexpected Adventure takes the reader on a ride they won’t soon forget.
© 2019, Chiara @ Books for a Delicate Eternity. All rights reserved.
trigger warning: animal death, animal cruelty, bullying, use of ableist language, apparent death of a friend, reference to past animal abuse
May 16, 2019
Buckley’s Unexpected Adventure by Dion Summergreene is a fantastic story about a German Shepherd named Buckley who is a detector dog for the Australian Border Force at the Brisbane International Airport. He and his handler, Adam, work with their senior partners, Sarge and Bill, to make sure nothing and no one dangerous enters Australia. Buckley’s excited to do the work, but he’s disappointed this Christmas because Sarge and Bill are retiring. His best friend, a mouse named Bo, tries to convince him to head over to their retirement party, but Buckley and Adam have been asked to do a last-minute inspection.
After Buckley detects an odd smell and hears a slight scratching sound, he alerts Adam. Sadly, they find numerous statues with chloroformed chameleons inside, and only one has survived along with two turtle eggs. This upsets Buckley so much that he wants to find out who did this and shut down the entire smuggling operation. When he can’t get the chameleon off his mind, he asks Bo to help him go see her in the Quarantine Department’s Exotics Room. While he’s there, he learns the chameleon's name is Ciara, and he decides to make sure she gets back to her family in Bangkok where part of the smuggling operation takes place. Little does he know, this decision will cause a chain of events that quickly evolves into a bold and entertaining crime-solving adventure.
Opinion:
I really liked reading Buckley’s Unexpected Adventure, and I think it would make a great movie! It’s fast-paced and action-packed with straight-forward characters that have so much personality. This makes the book easy to follow and never boring. It’s interesting to read because it explains the effects of animal smuggling from the perspective of the animals. It helps readers better understand the seriousness of this problem around the world and how it can disrupt the balance in natural animal habitats.
At the same time, the book is often funny. The characters find themselves on a madcap adventure where it is impossible to predict what will happen next. Through it all, it’s even full of lessons for real life. I like Buckley’s strong sense of right and wrong and how he overcomes doubts he has in himself because he’s so determined to be a good friend to Ciara, no matter what happens next. Other relationships among the characters are good examples of how easy it is to misjudge others and how we all need forgiveness sometimes. I also like how the story emphasizes the importance of persevering through problems because uncomfortable situations usually have something to teach us that will make us better people in the end. That is why I think this well-rounded book would be perfect for ages 8-12.
After Buckley detects an odd smell and hears a slight scratching sound, he alerts Adam. Sadly, they find numerous statues with chloroformed chameleons inside, and only one has survived along with two turtle eggs. This upsets Buckley so much that he wants to find out who did this and shut down the entire smuggling operation. When he can’t get the chameleon off his mind, he asks Bo to help him go see her in the Quarantine Department’s Exotics Room. While he’s there, he learns the chameleon's name is Ciara, and he decides to make sure she gets back to her family in Bangkok where part of the smuggling operation takes place. Little does he know, this decision will cause a chain of events that quickly evolves into a bold and entertaining crime-solving adventure.
Opinion:
I really liked reading Buckley’s Unexpected Adventure, and I think it would make a great movie! It’s fast-paced and action-packed with straight-forward characters that have so much personality. This makes the book easy to follow and never boring. It’s interesting to read because it explains the effects of animal smuggling from the perspective of the animals. It helps readers better understand the seriousness of this problem around the world and how it can disrupt the balance in natural animal habitats.
At the same time, the book is often funny. The characters find themselves on a madcap adventure where it is impossible to predict what will happen next. Through it all, it’s even full of lessons for real life. I like Buckley’s strong sense of right and wrong and how he overcomes doubts he has in himself because he’s so determined to be a good friend to Ciara, no matter what happens next. Other relationships among the characters are good examples of how easy it is to misjudge others and how we all need forgiveness sometimes. I also like how the story emphasizes the importance of persevering through problems because uncomfortable situations usually have something to teach us that will make us better people in the end. That is why I think this well-rounded book would be perfect for ages 8-12.
August 8, 2019
Buckley’s Unexpected Adventure – a book for middle grade and up.
Buckley is a German Shepherd with unique skills, working for the Australian Border Force (ABF) at the Brisbane International Airport. Being a runt, he wasn’t suitable to work as a Police K9 like his two older brothers, something they give him grief about. Still, he has some special skills and his job is a very important one, protecting our country.
What seems to be another ordinary day, an incredible discovery by Buckley starts off an exciting, unique, and as the title says, unexpected adventure. Action packed with exotic, and not-so exotic animals and a trip overseas, this rescue story is a page turner, keeping me engrossed right from the start. It even has a twist!
So many positives with this book apart from the interesting and well-written story. I love that the story is woven with some more harsher truths, such as animal cruelty, bullying etc. Topics that are real and a part of life. Also, describing emotions such as empathy and pointing out when someone is rude; fantastic.
I also feel I have a better understanding of what happens in airports, particularly animal smuggling and quarantine, as well as random facts about certain creatures mentioned in the book. It’s apparent the author did his research, or had some fascinating knowledge already swirling around his brain.
Buckley’s Unexpected Tour is informative and entertaining. Not only would I love to read more, I would also love to see Buckley’s made in a TV series, as originally considered by the author. It would be brilliant on the television and the possibilities are vast. More Buckley and Bo, please!
(Please note, I did pick up a few typing errors. I assume, hope, they have been fixed. Only stating this in case they were missed; happy to assist.)
Buckley is a German Shepherd with unique skills, working for the Australian Border Force (ABF) at the Brisbane International Airport. Being a runt, he wasn’t suitable to work as a Police K9 like his two older brothers, something they give him grief about. Still, he has some special skills and his job is a very important one, protecting our country.
What seems to be another ordinary day, an incredible discovery by Buckley starts off an exciting, unique, and as the title says, unexpected adventure. Action packed with exotic, and not-so exotic animals and a trip overseas, this rescue story is a page turner, keeping me engrossed right from the start. It even has a twist!
So many positives with this book apart from the interesting and well-written story. I love that the story is woven with some more harsher truths, such as animal cruelty, bullying etc. Topics that are real and a part of life. Also, describing emotions such as empathy and pointing out when someone is rude; fantastic.
I also feel I have a better understanding of what happens in airports, particularly animal smuggling and quarantine, as well as random facts about certain creatures mentioned in the book. It’s apparent the author did his research, or had some fascinating knowledge already swirling around his brain.
Buckley’s Unexpected Tour is informative and entertaining. Not only would I love to read more, I would also love to see Buckley’s made in a TV series, as originally considered by the author. It would be brilliant on the television and the possibilities are vast. More Buckley and Bo, please!
(Please note, I did pick up a few typing errors. I assume, hope, they have been fixed. Only stating this in case they were missed; happy to assist.)
August 3, 2019
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.
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.
September 21, 2019
Busby boys (7yrs & 10yrs) have read Buckleys Unexpected Adventure over several reading sessions together. Both boys were interested in the characters, & learning about the different locations of the animals’ adventures. The chapters were short to read, and the story was very descriptive & expressive.
Yesterday we’ve left our copy of Buckley’s Unexpected Adventure at Perth airport, hoping the next young traveller/reader to pick up the book is also an animal lover, future environmentalist, & of course will enjoy reading about Buckley & his mates’ adventures.
Shaka to Buckley & Dion Summergreene!
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews