Kirkus (Kirkus Reviews, December 15, 2007 (Vol. 75, No. 24))
On pages designed to look as if they come from a grubby notebook, an eight-year-old explorer records and illustrates fantastical adventures that start (and perhaps stay, to judge from internal hints) in his own backyard. In headlong fashion, Charlie finds himself struck by lightning, barreling down a swollen stream, wrestling a crocodile and then riding a steam-powered mechanical rhino (diagram included) into a fight with a huge serpent. Subsequently captured by a gorilla who takes him as a pet to a city of silverbacks, he proceeds to learn their speech (including 50 different words for "banana"), to become their king and to save them from an invading horde of mandrills. Eventually he slips away, only to find himself literally hurled into a new set of simultaneously published escapades with the female Perfumed Pirates of Perfidy ($5.99, ISBN: 978-0-385-75137-7; PLB: $11.99, ISBN: 978-0-385-75138-9). Charlie inserts plenty of quick sketches, maps and even the odd eyeball or other artifact to prove that it's all true—not that readers would ever doubt. Whether he'll get back home in time for tea is anybody's guess. 2008, David Fickling/Random, 144p. Category: Fantasy. Ages 8 to 10. © 2007 Kirkus Reviews/VNU eMedia, Inc. All rights reserved.

April Spisak (The Bulletin of the Center for Children’s Books, April 2008 (Vol. 61, No. 8))
In these British imports, carefully constructed faux journals of an eight-year-old boy present his encounters with, respectively, gorillas and female pirates. In Gorilla City, Charlie’s adventure begins after he recovers from a lightning strike only to find himself stuck in a time warp in an entirely foreign environment. Being late for tea is the least of Charlie’s worries as he contends with killer hyenas, a bully of a gorilla king, and an unforgiving landscape that seems inescapable. The Perfumed Pirates of Perfidy focuses on Charlie’s capture by pirates soon after his escape from the gorillas’ home. The pirates are cutthroat, malodorous, and—worst of all, to Charlie—ladies, and they force him into servitude. While the intrepid protagonist has been in desperate scrapes before, being threatened at the end of a cutlass by a rum-swilling captain presents quite a challenge. The journal format, replete with frequent black-and-white sketches, sardonic asides, entries of varying length, and even “taped-in” artifacts, is highly effective, setting this book apart from other middle grade adventure stories. Unfortunately, Charlie’s sophistication, foresight, and honed sarcasm do not mesh with his age, making the two books seem more pretend memoir than diaries from a child’s perspective; readers may find his exploits thrilling, but they are less likely to connect with his too-perfect personality and abilities. Even so, many adventure lovers will find exploring jungle cities and dwelling with fierce pirates rather irresistible situations, and they will likely anticipate the promised future volumes (The Amazing Adventures of Charlie Small) Review Code: Ad -- Additional book of acceptable quality for collections needing more material in the area. (c) Copyright 2006, The Board of Trustees of the University of Illinois. 2008, Fickling/Random House, 138p., $11.99 and $5.99. Grades 4-6.

Horn Book (The Horn Book Guide, Fall 2008)
Charlie's journals keep readers up-to-date with his travels in the jungle (Gorilla) and aboard a pirate ship (Perfumed). Lost in a mysterious world while time at home stands frozen, Charlie takes on each adventure with cheerfulness and determination. Unfortunately, the stories don't have enough humor or tension to keep readers hooked. Sketchy black-and-white pictures crowd many of the pages. (Charlie Small series). Category: Intermediate Fiction. 2008, Random/Fickling, 138pp, $11.99 (lb), $5.99 (pb). Ages 9 to 12. Rating: 5: Marginal, seriously flawed, but with some redeeming quality.