A humorous and tasty whodunit for budding detectives—or burgeoning chefs.
Lady Pancake and Sir French Toast have a mystery on their hands.
The beloved duo are invited to a holiday eve party at a “secret address” where renowned author Agatha Crispy will read from her latest, The Mystery Mistletoast Crook. But as they and several other food-themed guests sit down to hear Agatha speak, the lights go dark, and when they come back on, Agatha is empty-handed. Someone has stolen her book. It’s the only copy, and Agatha refuses to let anyone leave until the culprit’s been held accountable. Could it be Baron von Waffle? (He’d “once been a foe.”) Or crafty Biscotti? Everyone’s a suspect—even Pancake and Toast, who are known to be mystery buffs. Can our heroes figure it out and save the day? Funk serves up a heaping helping of puns and wordplay; posters in the background advertise shows such as Beauty and the Beets, while eagle-eyed readers will spot a bust of “Egger Allan Poe” on a shelf in the library. Making use of rich vocabulary, Funk’s rhyming verse lends the tale a singsongy energy perfect for read-alouds. In Kearney’s crisp illustrations, the expressive foods have oversize heads and spindly limbs. Delectable details in the art make for fantastic worldbuilding—Agatha’s face is covered with sprinkles, and she wields a candy cane.
A humorous and tasty whodunit for budding detectives—or burgeoning chefs. (Picture book. 4-8)Pub Date: Sept. 9, 2025
ISBN: 9781454943655
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Union Square Kids
Review Posted Online: July 19, 2025
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 15, 2025
Not enough tricks to make this a treat.
Another holiday title (How To Catch the Easter Bunny by Adam Wallace, illustrated by Elkerton, 2017) sticks to the popular series’ formula.
Rhyming four-line verses describe seven intrepid trick-or-treaters’ efforts to capture the witch haunting their Halloween. Rhyming roadblocks with toolbox is an acceptable stretch, but too often too many words or syllables in the lines throw off the cadence. Children familiar with earlier titles will recognize the traps set by the costume-clad kids—a pulley and box snare, a “Tunnel of Tricks.” Eventually they accept her invitation to “floss, bump, and boogie,” concluding “the dance party had hit the finale at last, / each dancing monster started to cheer! / There’s no doubt about it, we have to admit: / This witch threw the party of the year!” The kids are diverse, and their costumes are fanciful rather than scary—a unicorn, a dragon, a scarecrow, a red-haired child in a lab coat and bow tie, a wizard, and two space creatures. The monsters, goblins, ghosts, and jack-o'-lanterns, backgrounded by a turquoise and purple night sky, are sufficiently eerie. Still, there isn’t enough originality here to entice any but the most ardent fans of Halloween or the series. (This book was reviewed digitally.)
Not enough tricks to make this a treat. (Picture book. 4-7)Pub Date: Aug. 2, 2022
ISBN: 978-1-72821-035-3
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Sourcebooks Wonderland
Review Posted Online: May 10, 2022
Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 1, 2022
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These reindeer games are a bit tired but, given the series’ popularity, should have a large, ready-made audience.
The How to Catch A… crew try for Comet.
Having already failed to nab a Halloween witch, the Easter Bunny, a turkey, a leprechaun, the Tooth Fairy, and over a dozen other iconic trophies in previous episodes of this bestselling series, one would think the racially diverse gaggle of children in Elkerton’s moonlit, wintry scenes would be flagging…but no, here they lay out snares ranging from a loop of garland to an igloo baited with reindeer moss to an enticing candy cane maze, all in hopes of snagging one of Santa’s reindeer while he’s busy delivering presents. Infused with pop culture–based Christmas cheer (“Now I’ve already seen the shelf with the elf”), Comet prances past the traps until it’s time to gather up the kids, most of whom look terrified, for a group snapshot with the other reindeer and then climb back into harness: “This was a great stop but a few million to go / Christmas Eve must continue with style!” Though festive, the verse feels trite and unlikely to entice youngsters. A sprinkling of “True Facts About Reindeer” (“They live in the tundra, where they have friends like the arctic bunny”) wrap up this celebration of the predatory spirit. (This book was reviewed digitally.)
These reindeer games are a bit tired but, given the series’ popularity, should have a large, ready-made audience. (Picture book. 5-7)Pub Date: Oct. 4, 2022
ISBN: 9781728276137
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Sourcebooks Wonderland
Review Posted Online: Dec. 12, 2022
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