by Ulf Nilsson ; translated by Julia Marshall ; illustrated by Gitte Spee ‧ RELEASE DATE: March 7, 2023
Sadly the last but a fine addition to a fine series.
There are scoundrels on the loose in Chief Detective Buffy’s police district!
Former Detective Gordon (a toad) has passed on his title to his former assistant Buffy (a mouse). When forest resident Badger hears “brumbling and scrorching” in the night and goes out to find his trash can destroyed, Detective Buffy is on the case. Meanwhile, Gordon, who still lives at the police headquarters with Buffy, is looking after a young squirrel named Helmer who wants to join the police when he grows up. While investigating, Buffy is injured. Gordon and the other forest animals rescue her, and everyone stays at police headquarters for the night…but little Helmer goes investigating on his own and makes a surprising friend. Beloved, award-winning Swedish author Nilsson passed away in 2021, making this (likely) the final adventure for Detective Buffy and former Detective Gordon. A little more fantastical than its four predecessors, this volume is just as charming, gentle, wry, and entertaining as the rest of the series and anything that was created by A.A. Milne or Kenneth Grahame. Spee’s squiggly colored-pencil drawings again bring everything to life.
Sadly the last but a fine addition to a fine series. (map of Buffy’s police district) (Mystery. 6-10)Pub Date: March 7, 2023
ISBN: 978-1-77657-487-2
Page Count: 111
Publisher: Gecko Press
Review Posted Online: Nov. 15, 2022
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Dec. 1, 2022
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by Ulf Nilsson ; illustrated by Eva Eriksson ; translated by Julia Marshall
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by Ulf Nilsson ; illustrated by Gitte Spee ; translated by Julia Marshall
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by Ulf Nilsson ; illustrated by Eva Eriksson ; translated by Susan Beard
by Claudia Mills ; illustrated by Rob Shepperson ‧ RELEASE DATE: June 14, 2016
Another winner from Mills, equally well suited to reading aloud and independent reading.
When Franklin School principal Mr. Boone announces a pet-show fundraiser, white third-grader Cody—whose lack of skill and interest in academics is matched by keen enthusiasm for and knowledge of animals—discovers his time to shine.
As with other books in this series, the children and adults are believable and well-rounded. Even the dialogue is natural—no small feat for a text easily accessible to intermediate readers. Character growth occurs, organically and believably. Students occasionally, humorously, show annoyance with teachers: “He made mad squinty eyes at Mrs. Molina, which fortunately she didn’t see.” Readers will be kept entertained by Cody’s various problems and the eventual solutions. His problems include needing to raise $10 to enter one of his nine pets in the show (he really wants to enter all of them), his troublesome dog Angus—“a dog who ate homework—actually, who ate everything and then threw up afterward”—struggles with homework, and grappling with his best friend’s apparently uncaring behavior toward a squirrel. Serious values and issues are explored with a light touch. The cheery pencil illustrations show the school’s racially diverse population as well as the memorable image of Mr. Boone wearing an elephant costume. A minor oddity: why does a child so immersed in animal facts call his male chicken a rooster but his female chickens chickens?
Another winner from Mills, equally well suited to reading aloud and independent reading. (Fiction. 7-10)Pub Date: June 14, 2016
ISBN: 978-0-374-30223-8
Page Count: 144
Publisher: Farrar, Straus and Giroux
Review Posted Online: March 15, 2016
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 1, 2016
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by Claudia Mills ; illustrated by Grace Zong
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by Claudia Mills ; illustrated by Grace Zong
by Kwame Alexander & illustrated by Tim Bowers ‧ RELEASE DATE: Sept. 1, 2011
Having put together a band with renowned cousin Duck Ellington and singer “Bee” Holiday, Rooster’s chances sure look...
Winning actually isn’t everything, as jazz-happy Rooster learns when he goes up against the legendary likes of Mules Davis and Ella Finchgerald at the barnyard talent show.
Having put together a band with renowned cousin Duck Ellington and singer “Bee” Holiday, Rooster’s chances sure look good—particularly after his “ ‘Hen from Ipanema’ [makes] / the barnyard chickies swoon.”—but in the end the competition is just too stiff. No matter: A compliment from cool Mules and the conviction that he still has the world’s best band soon puts the strut back in his stride. Alexander’s versifying isn’t always in tune (“So, he went to see his cousin, / a pianist of great fame…”), and despite his moniker Rooster plays an electric bass in Bower’s canted country scenes. Children are unlikely to get most of the jokes liberally sprinkled through the text, of course, so the adults sharing it with them should be ready to consult the backmatter, which consists of closing notes on jazz’s instruments, history and best-known musicians.Pub Date: Sept. 1, 2011
ISBN: 978-1-58536-688-0
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Sleeping Bear Press
Review Posted Online: July 19, 2011
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 1, 2011
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by Kwame Alexander & Deanna Nikaido ; illustrated by Melissa Sweet
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by Kwame Alexander ; illustrated by Dare Coulter
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