Book Review of Andy the Admiral and the USS Shipshape
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The Children’s Book Review
Andy the Admiral and the USS Shipshape
Written by Mark C. Fava
Illustrated by Agus Prajogo and Yohanes Bastia
Ages: 4+ | 40 Pages
Publisher: Mascot Kids (2026) | ISBN-13: 979-8-89138-803-1
What to Expect: Leadership, honesty, teamwork, good manners, and character-building.
A retired Navy captain brings the USS Shipshape to life in this character-building picture book that teaches young readers the values of honesty, teamwork, good manners, and love through the lens of life at sea.
Climb aboard the aircraft carrier USS Shipshape, where Andy the Admiral leads his crew through the challenges and triumphs of Navy life. From the moment the ship leaves port to its triumphant return home, young readers sail alongside Andy and his shipmates — learning alongside them that great sailors, like great friends, are defined not by rank but by character. With each spread, a new lesson unfolds, wrapped in the energy and wonder of high-seas adventure.
Fava writes with the warmth and conviction of someone who has lived these values firsthand, and it shows. The text has a pleasant, rhyming rhythm that carries young readers through the story at a brisk, engaging pace, and each page distills its lesson into a memorable, child-friendly call to action — “Be on time!” “Keep your word!” “Always tell the truth!” The recurring small-panel insets of Andy offering his lesson in a speech bubble are a clever device that reinforces the book’s mentorship theme without interrupting the narrative momentum.
Illustrators Prajogo and Bastian deliver richly detailed, cinematic illustrations that capture the impressive scale of an aircraft carrier while keeping the warm, accessible energy appropriate for picture book readers. The diverse cast of sailors depicted across the spreads is a welcome and natural touch, reflecting the real-world makeup of the U.S. Navy.
Andy the Admiral and the USS Shipshape is a standout choice for families with connections to the military, educators looking for character education read-alouds, and any child drawn to ships, planes, and adventure on the open sea. Mark C. Fava has crafted something genuinely useful and genuinely fun — a book that earns its place on the bookshelf and in the classroom alike.
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About the Author
Mark C. Fava is an Amazon bestselling and Book Excellence Award-winning author, speaker, aviation attorney, and retired U.S. Navy captain. He is the author of Lessons from the Admiral and the creator of The Shipshape Shipmates children’s book series.
During his career as a naval flight officer, Mark commanded three Navy units, including command of a maritime patrol squadron of P-3 Orion aircraft. While serving in the U.S. Navy Reserve, he also built a distinguished civilian career.
He has practiced aviation law for more than 30 years and served as Chief Operations Attorney for Delta Air Lines on September 11, 2001. He was also a law firm partner, taught aviation law and legal writing as an adjunct law professor, and held senior executive positions in the aerospace industry.
Mark earned degrees from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and the University of South Carolina School of Law.
Mark lives in Charleston, South Carolina, with his wife and three daughters.
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