Review by Booklist Review
Don't let the page count fool you. This novel is probably more pictures than text. It's not, however, a graphic novel in the sense of a sequential telling; nor does it follow the model Brian Selznick used so effectively in The Invention of Hugo Cabret (2007), where art replaced text to further the story. The pictures here simply add texture to the words they accompany but what a delight they are. Award-winning British cartoonist Riddell (the Edge Chronicles, with Paul Stewart) illustrates in pen and ink, enhanced by crosshatching and a smattering of bright red, to concoct a cast of quirky characters and amazingly detailed backdrops on which they interact. The story, a lightweight mystery at best, begins by introducing calm, curious, detailed-obsessed young Ottoline, who, along with sidekick Mr. Monroe (think Gomez Addams' hairy Cousin Itt) investigates the disappearance of several pampered pooches, only to discover the dognapper isn't exactly after canine company. In an oversize trenchcoat, Mr. Monroe makes a bizarre gumshoe, with fellow cast members, canines included, just as wacky. An entertaining alternative for chapter-book readers.--Zvirin, Stephanie Copyright 2008 Booklist
From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by School Library Journal Review
Gr 3-5-While her parents are off traveling the world collecting "interesting things," Ottoline Brown lives in an elaborate apartment in Big City with her best friend, guardian, and accomplice in forming clever plans. He is called Mr. Monroe and is a silent creature from Norway who resembles Cousin Itt from the Addams Family. Ottoline solves a mystery involving a cat burglar, who is actually a cat, and the missing lapdogs of well-to-do women. The story is told through the text and the detailed line drawings that appear on each page. Done in black and white with red highlighting a quirky detail or two, the illustrations add humor, depth, and momentum to the narrative. The quickly moving plot is grounded in real emotion. Ottoline is a precocious child who misses her absent parents; in one scene she unwittingly treats Mr. Monroe with a childish cruelty that most parents will recognize. The equal ratio of text to illustrations makes this a good choice for reluctant readers, although there is some challenging vocabulary. There is enough detail in the exceptional illustrations to satisfy any graphic novel fan.-Caroline Tesauro, Radford Public Library, VA (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
(c) Copyright Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Review by Horn Book Review
In this strange little book, Ottoline and her guardian (a small, hairy creature from a bog in Norway) stumble upon a missing pet mystery. They investigate and solve the crime. The text is enhanced by striking black-and-white illustrations, with judicious splashes of red, that tell much of the story while displaying Ottoline's genteel daily life. Readers will appreciate the heroine's independence and guile. (c) Copyright 2010. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted. All rights reserved.
(c) Copyright The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Review by Kirkus Book Review
A tale told in intricate, finely detailed pictures linked by occasional brief bursts of prose introduces Eloise-like young Ottoline, who shares a large apartment with hair-covered sidekick Mr. Munroe, collects odd single shoes and postcards from her parents (who are generally off on travels) and solves mysteries. Here, she concocts an elaborate scheme to track down a gaggle of missing lap dogs and to trap a cat burglar--who actually turns out to be a cat. Children who linger over the illustrations, ink drawings with occasional highlights in red, will find all sorts of odd, precisely depicted household objects and comical details among the gracefully posed human and animal characters. There's an abstract air to the whole episode, but the plot trots along smoothly, and Riddell's distinctive visual style shows off to better effect here than in the cramped art for his Edge Chronicles and other collaborations. Shelve this, the first volume of a projected three, with the graphic novels. (Fiction. 10-12) Copyright ©Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
