Definitely a dream but no less exciting for that, this freewheeling escapade sends a lad in pursuit of international art thieves. News that the Mona Lisa has been stolen lifts Jack from his bed, transforms him into a secret agent with all sorts of cool gear and propels him across the Atlantic to recover the masterpiece before the nefarious no-goodniks can carry out their hideous plan to—well, follow Marcel Duchamp’s lead. McCarthy crafts noirish cartoons of a popeyed, trench coat–clad Jack foiling repeated attempts on his life and braving such tortures as being forced to “watch videos of chickens dancing—OVER and OVER again!” He nabs the crooks, sneaks the relieved-looking portrait back to her rightful place in the Louvre, then, using “secret methods too treacherous to mention,” ends up back in his room. A newspaper-style closing describes an actual theft of the Mona Lisa in the early 20th-century, giving this episode a tenuous connection with reality. This melodramatic adventure will keep young readers riveted. (Picture book. 6-9)
Pub Date: Oct. 1, 2006
ISBN: 0-15-205368-9
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Harcourt
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 15, 2006
Models attention to detail and deductive reasoning in a fun beach setting, complete with interesting facts.
Beachcombers and shell seekers, gather ’round and meet Shelby and Watts, Planetary Investigators.
When Fred the hermit crab can’t find a new, larger shell to move into, he seeks out the “brilliant brains” of Shelby and Watts. Shelby, a fox, is the detective in the duo, and Watts, a badger, loves facts, adding simple fun ones—about hermit crabs, tides, tide-pool dwellers, how shells are used, etc.—throughout the story. Watts also loves to catalog clues in his notebook. In fact, the first mystery that Shelby solves is that of Watts’ lost notebook. Young readers can watch Shelby investigate, solve, and explain her deductive process, all while learning to carefully examine all the details in each graphic panel. Once the missing shells are found, it’s “time for the hermit crab shuffle,” in which the members of a colony of hermit crabs all line up and trade up to larger homes. Final pages include “Earth-Saving Tips from Shelby & Watts,” such as taking pictures of shells instead of collecting them, eating seafood from sustainable sources, and cleaning up the beach. The seven chapters are of varying length, but with several one-panel pages and many pages with low word count, the book is shorter than it appears, which should be a confidence boost for young readers. (This book was reviewed digitally.)
Models attention to detail and deductive reasoning in a fun beach setting, complete with interesting facts. (Graphic early reader/mystery. 6-9)Pub Date: Aug. 24, 2021
ISBN: 978-0-593-20531-0
Page Count: 96
Publisher: Viking
Review Posted Online: June 1, 2021
Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 15, 2021
A fun series opener with a feisty protagonist who’ll keep readers on their toes.
Bowling introduces the outspoken, armless narrator of her Life as a Cactus series to younger readers.
Eight-year-old Aven Green doesn’t need arms to be a good private investigator; her feet work just fine. In fact, all those extra arm cells went to her brain instead—at least, that’s her hypothesis. So when somebody starts stealing food at school, she’s on the case. But then her great-grandma’s dog, Smitty, goes missing, and then new student Sujata arrives—looking mysteriously sad. Can Aven’s “super-powered brain” solve three cases at the same time? The simple plot, peppered with humorous malapropisms and leaps of kid logic, is primarily a showcase for Aven’s precocious personality. Witty, stubborn, and self-confident (“I was shy once. It was on a Wednesday afternoon in kindergarten”), Aven takes her disability in stride; her classmates are also accepting. She and her friends share rowdy and gleefully gross activities, complete with “ninja” chops, flatulence, and “rainbow barf.” Her (adoptive) parents are warmly supportive, but her long-suffering teacher is perhaps too much so; her remarkable tolerance for Aven’s occasionally disruptive antics may raise some eyebrows. Perry’s black-and-white cartoon illustrations energetically depict Aven’s agile feet and mischievous grin. The tidy ending sets up another adventure; a list of Aven’s “sleuthing words” is appended. Most characters, including Aven, appear to be White; Sujata is Indian American.
A fun series opener with a feisty protagonist who’ll keep readers on their toes. (Mystery. 6-9)Pub Date: April 6, 2021
ISBN: 978-1-4549-4221-4
Page Count: 128
Publisher: Sterling Children's Books
Review Posted Online: March 1, 2021
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 15, 2021
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