Who loves a delicious, hot, salty chippy? Seagull mates Steve-O, Stanley and Stacey do…
Chippy Jackpot is the first hilarious graphic novel in the Chippy Chasers series by Sam Cotton. Cotton is an actor, animator, TikTok sensation and author-illustrator who loves birds and chips – so Chippy Jackpot is a very fitting debut.
The graphic novel opens with an older seagull – complete with a walking stick and the name Grandgull – who’s persuaded to tell four baby gulls a nest-time story. Grandfull’s story begins with Brock’s Famous Chippy Van, and the scene is set.
On a sunny Sydney wharf, Stacey and Stanley watch enviously as customers feed on as many hot salty chippies as they want. Fed up with having to scab for scraps with all the other seagulls, they seek out legendary chippy thief Steve-O to help them pull off the ultimate heist…
But first, they’ll have to get past a seagull-hating chippy chef, deal with some bully bin chickens, and convince the World’s Best Chippy Chaser to overcome his dark past and join the team.
I loved this graphic novel! It’s witty, funny, filled with puns and has a lot of heart. Stacey and Stanley are a dynamic duo who bounce off each other seamlessly. They strive to enlist chippy-chasing celebrity Steve-O but he’s reluctant – and he has his reasons. However, when he overcomes his personal hurdles, he complements the duo perfectly and they become the ultimate trio ready for their chippy heist.
Cotton’s illustrations tie the graphic novel together effortlessly, bringing each seagull, human and beach-y setting to life. A standout illustration for me was the flashback of Stanley dressed up as Brock (the chippy chef) for Halloween. Picture this: a seagull dressed as a man with a moustache, apron and broom, standing on a buoy in the water – it’s hilarious!
Cotton also does a fantastic job at making us (humans) look at our lives from the outside in. It’s easy for us to get our hands on golden, salty, crispy hot chippies, and all we need to do is queue up for it! But these three seagulls need to go on a crucial heist to get the chippies out of Brock’s Famous Chippy Van and into their gulls. While this is the core of the story, we also see the friendship between the trio – and Brock – ebb and flow as they overcome obstacles to reach their goal. Though whether their chippy heist is successful or not is something you’ll have to find out when you read the book.
If you love hot chippies (who doesn’t?) and are looking for a hilarious graphic novel to add to your TBR list, then Chippy Jackpot is for you. Perfect for children aged 6+ to read with parents or independently, and for reluctant readers.
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