ZEB AND BEL

A cat and dog endeavor to find a missing parakeet.

Full of personalities and pets in close quarters, apartment life is the perfect setting for intrigue. This graphic mystery takes advantage of that confinement, working the particulars of city life from many angles. Bel, a black cat and aspiring detective, and Zeb, her goofy canine sibling, wait by their window for a mystery to unfold. In a series of scenes that winkingly reference Rear Window, they observe their brown-skinned young owner, Josephine, being shackled by a shadowy figure in a nearby apartment. Scampering to save her, they discover a magic show in progress (and Josephine doing just fine), but midway through another trick, Payton the parakeet vanishes into thin air! An apartment-wide search ensues, with fellow cats, an odd neighbor, and other feathered creatures falling under suspicion. Bel takes her task seriously; Zeb tags along barking amusing conspiracies and bursting into song. Their bird hunt takes them beyond their home base, into Perpleck City’s parks, subways, and nature sanctuary. While moving through their intricate social environment slows their sleuthing down, the urban pleasures they encounter are compelling. Rendered in calmly natural hues, Elliott’s slightly scrawly, playful illustrations depict a diverse community. Bel and Zeb make a delightful odd couple, and it will be exciting to see what metropolitan mystery they dig up next.

An imaginative whodunit for aspiring young sleuths.