The dynamic mouse detective duo is at it again solving mysteries of the natural world for young children. This time, Dot and Jabber tackle the problem of disappearing bugs. Out for a walk in the meadow, they stop to watch some bugs, but when they turn away and look back again, the bugs have disappeared. The two begin gathering clues, looking, listening, and chatting with the other animals in the meadow. Gradually, they learn that the bugs are hiding from animals that might eat them. The last clue leads the mice to look closely for small movements, and they find all the missing bugs—they were hiding in plain sight. A final page gives readers more information about insects and introduces the term camouflage. Young children will enjoy the seek-and-find quality to the illustrations as they try to find all the bugs on each page. Walsh’s paper collages make the hidden bugs stand out a little more, without completely giving away their locations. Another excellent science mystery. (Picture book. 3-7)
