Slight at best.
It is the day the fifth graders submit their STEAM projects to be judged at the school fair.
The fair’s theme is “What My Country Means to Me.” After Sam Witt’s 50-state mega-sandwich disappears, the day continues to produce many other unexpected mysteries. Ravi sees the shadows of evil alien invaders in Mr. Hargrove’s classroom. Animal-loving Shaniqua is convinced that the news reporters on TV announced that a tiger escaped from the zoo and is running loose in the neighborhood. When Deanna sees the police standing in front of the school, she knows for sure her arrest is imminent for illicitly taking home the school library’s reference copy of The Wonderful Wizard of Oz. Aspiring foodie author Mateo mistakes the substitute teacher’s pre-labor pains—and baby bump—as evidence she’s the culprit who has eaten Sam’s large sandwich. Moore has cast a diverse group of students in this mystery, mostly relying on naming convention and Huddleston’s illustrations rather than textual details to indicate identity. Troublingly, Deanna claims Pawnee heritage to back up her Kansas bona fides as she auditions for the role of Dorothy. Overall, the characters come across as rather dim—not the sorts of kids actual upper-elementary students are likely to identify with. Companion titles Lab Mice Heist, Math Test Mischief, and Stage Two Hullabaloo publish simultaneously.
Slight at best. (Fiction. 7-10)Pub Date: Sept. 1, 2019
ISBN: 978-1-63163-316-4
Page Count: 120
Publisher: Jolly Fish Press
Review Posted Online: July 13, 2019
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 1, 2019
A nifty whodunit.
In this graphic offering, a skeletal sleuth and his stuffed sidekick are on the case to catch a museum thief.
At the State Natural History Museum reside Sherlock Bones, a tawny frogmouth skeleton, and his quiet companion, a taxidermic Indian ringneck parrot named Watts. One day the emergency alarm blares, and Bones quickly deduces that the museum’s Royal Blue Diamond has been stolen. As Bones and Watts investigate, they find that the diamond wasn’t the only pilfered property: Other blue items are also missing. With the help of new friend Grace, a chocolate-loving (and live) raccoon, the sleuths must gather clues and catch the thief before the museum is shut down and they are all sent into the dark and dusty recesses of storage. Treml’s graphic mystery will most certainly delight fledgling eagle-eyed detectives who can spot cleverly placed clues (and red herrings) in the tidy panels alongside cheery heroes Bones and Watts. Interspersed throughout the narrative are fun facts covering a swath of natural science from beetles to butterflies. While Treml’s art is eye-catching, the black-and-white presentation is a disappointing choice for such a visual offering that relies heavily on color to propel its plot. This quibble aside, mystery aficionados should enjoy the chance to solve the case alongside the lovable cast of animal characters.
A nifty whodunit. (Graphic mystery. 7-10)Pub Date: Sept. 22, 2020
ISBN: 978-0-358-31184-3
Page Count: 272
Publisher: Etch/HMH
Review Posted Online: June 15, 2020
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 1, 2020
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Completely “pig-dic-u-lous”—and a whole lot of fun.
More hard-boiled hilarity, this time with a side of apples.
In their third case, mice Detective Wilcox and Capt. Griswold, esteemed Missing Food Investigators, look into the latest “bad apple” on the farm. The action starts with a call from a doctor at Whole Hog Emergency Care. It seems Porcini “pigged out” on a basket of apples that may have been deliberately poisoned! For the MFIs, that’s a Code 22—better known as “attempted hamslaughter.” The detectives rush to the scene of the crime to get the 411 and “save [Porcini’s] bacon.” At the pig’s pen, they find the basket (with four remaining apples) and a series of hoof, claw, and paw prints. The MFIs quickly narrow down the suspects to fellow farm animals Sweet Pea (another pig), Herman the Vermin (a rat), and Hot Dog (a dog, natch). But whodunit? Forensics will reveal the truth. With a successful formula established in earlier series entries, this one’s par for the course. The five chapters range in text complexity, reaching 23 lines at most per page. Full-color cartoon spot illustrations provide contextual clues and break up the text. Though yellow sticky notes define slangy terms like “tox screen” and “perp,” the abundant wordplay is perhaps best deciphered by more confident readers.
Completely “pig-dic-u-lous”—and a whole lot of fun. (recipe) (Early reader. 7-9)Pub Date: Sept. 1, 2020
ISBN: 978-1-939547-76-7
Page Count: 48
Publisher: Creston
Review Posted Online: June 15, 2020
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 1, 2020
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