Review by New York Times Review
#+ |9780307743909 |9780307949455 |9780307743893 |9780307949448 |9780449011409 |9780062082947 |9780062082930 |9781455851546 |9781455851522 |9781455851553 |9781455851539 |9781455851515 |9780763651206 |9780763656362 |9780007334063 |9780007447428 |9780375870293 |9780375970290 |9780449013816 |9780375988684 |9781554981809 |9780375967559 |9780307942630 |9780375867552 ~ MEMBERS of the criminal underworld, beware the little children. They've been on to you for years, and the number of mystery-loving young readers seems only to grow. Now to the ranks of Encyclopedia Brown and Cam Jansen comes the newest crop of budding Hercule Poirots: two are American, one is from Botswana, one gang hails from England, and two are Canadians 'with twitchy noses. The one thing they have in common is that each provides the seeds to understanding how a perfectly average child (or rabbit) might go about becoming a sleuth when baddies need foiling. While it's hardly Alexander McCall Smith's first work for children, "The Great Cake Mystery" uses a particularly interesting approach. McCall Smith's early chapter book travels back in time to introduce Precious Ramotswe, the protagonist in his "No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency" series, when she was just a child herself. "The Great Cake Mystery" recounts Precious' first case ever: a hungry thief is lifting treats and delicious tidbits kept in the children's belongings in her classroom. Though the book is gorgeously illustrated by the remarkably talented Iain McIntosh, McCall Smith, alas, does not seem entirely comfortable writing for a younger audience. Characters often explain things that would be entirely obvious to them, and chapter breaks are unnervingly sporadic. The result is a beautifullooking book that fills a real need for detective stories featuring characters who are anything other than white, but one that could have been stronger. Another entry into this genre also features a character with a serious built-in fan base. Yet where McCall Smith writes younger, Jane O'Connor goes for older readers. Fancy Nancy is an undisputed picture-book and early-reader phenomenon, so perhaps it was only a matter of time before her creators started working her into chapter books. It's tempting to write off "Nancy Clancy, Super Sleuth" as a bold attempt to siphon additional cash from little girls' parents. However, bedazzled magnifying glasses aside, "Super Sleuth" is quite well done. In their first outing as detectives, Nancy and her best friend, Bree, discover two mini-mysteries (one involving a guilty friend, the other a missing marble) and through believable and clever investigative work manage to solve both. O'Connor, a children's books editor in her own right, has a fine ear for dialogue and includes details that will amuse parents roped into reading this ai bedtime. You can't write this one off. Just as Nancy spins off into a series for children who might otherwise outgrow her, so does Clarice Bean morph into Ruby Redfort. Fans of Lauren Child's "Clarice Bean" books know by now how much Clarice adores reading a mystery series starring a girl named Ruby Redfort. With "Ruby Redfort: Look Into My Eyes," those books-within-the-books are now a reality. Here, the code-cracking genius Ruby is recruited by the secret agency Spectrum to help foil a bank heist and protect a rare jade statue in a story that clearly draws inspiration from the hardboiled American crime novels of yore. Children must therefore get past characters calling one another "kid," "sweetheart," "lady," and a whole host of outtas, wannas and gottas. (Child is British, and her awe of American vernacular shows.) Though the book is a nice pastiche of the spy genre for younger readers, sluggish sections in which Ruby reads newspapers may lose some. Child sets her story in an imagined world where spy gadgets are abundant but cellphones and the Internet seem not to exist. When a phone number is listed as KLondike 5-1212, the jig is officially up. A more reliable method of doing away with technology is simply to place a story in the past - the distant past, if at all possible. Though known best to Americans for his work on the deadly serious "Dark Materials" books, Philip Pullman taps into his funny side with the wholly lighthearted "Two Crafty Criminals!," a set of capers previously published in Britain in 1994 and '95 but appearing here for the first time. In the late-19th-century London borough of Lambeth, a crew of kids calling themselves the New Cut Gang encounter two distinct mysteries in separate stories. In the first, someone is spreading counterfeit money and it's up to the Gang to use a mannequin - an easily manipulated chestnut man - and a bit of ambergris to thwart the villain. In the second, someone has stolen the gas fitters' silver and the Gang manages to save the day thanks to a strongman, a bowler hat and the Prince of Wales himself. Where Child attempts an American voice with mixed results, Pullman fully embraces his English roots, which means children must tolerate references to everything from shillings to cricket without explanation. Once the stories hit their stride, they prove to be a hoot, but they may require patience to get there. CROSSING back to Canada, we find the loosest mystery of the bunch. Polly Horvath has never struck me as an author who cares one jot what people think of her, and "Mr. and Mrs. Bunny - Detectives Extraordinaire!" does little to change this opinion. Raised by members of the counterculture, the perfectly sensible (and human) Madeline is stunned when her parents are kidnapped by what appears to be a car full of dastardly foxes. To her aid come Mr. and Mrs. Bunny, a pair of rabbits who have recently taken up detective work as their latest hobby. They may initially be more in love with the idea of wearing fedoras than with actual detecting, but they are Madeline's best hope. As with "Two Crafty Criminals!," readers will have to slog through language that isn't particularly child-friendly, in this case involving an alt-hippie lifestyle's references and phrasings. Yet if they make it past the first chapter, they're in the clear - everything thereafter is quite amusing. Horvath overdoes the winks to adult readers, but her fuzzy detectives will give younger readers something they can readily grasp and enjoy. Origin stories one and all, these introductory detective books won't necessarily supplant the established Nancy Drew or Jigsaw Jones in a child's affections. But they'll almost certainly sate a craving for bite-size mysteries. Elizabeth Bird is the New York Public Library's youth materials specialist. She is collaborating on a book about the true stories behind popular children's books.
Copyright (c) The New York Times Company [May 13, 2012]
Review by Booklist Review
Peanut is a dachshund with a taste for apples. In fact, the apple tree in his yard is his pride and joy. Problem is, part of the tree also hangs in Milo's yard, and Peanut worries more obsesses that the portly, bottom-heavy pooch is going to steal his fruit. One day, the unimaginable happens: despite Peanut's best efforts, the juiciest apple falls on Milo's side of the fence and right into his bowl. What to do? This sweet tale of friendship and sharing, rendered in bold, graphic layouts and a muted color palette, is ripe with subtle humor, from Peanut's nightmares about Milo (in a bandit mask) absconding with the apples to his attempts to hose the fruit down on his side of the yard. The setting never changes, but Boldt keeps the perspectives fresh and adds plenty of vignetted sequences to the mix. The real treat is observing neurotic, slit-eyed Peanut and oblivious, wide-eyed Milo, both of whom are completely huggable. This undoubtedly has much to offer children about the joys and rewards of sharing.--Kelley, Ann Copyright 2010 Booklist
From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by School Library Journal Review
PreS-Gr 2-Peanut likes apples even more than other dogs like bones, and the apple tree in his yard "[is] his pride and joy." He counts his apples, dreams about them, and sometimes has nightmares that his neighbor, Milo, will steal his precious fruit. When Peanut notices that his best apple is hanging precariously over Milo's garden, he tries unsuccessfully to get it down. Of course, his worst fear is realized, and it falls right into Milo's dish. Instead of keeping it, though, the pup returns it, saying, "This apple looks very ripe and juicy, and I know how much you love them." A grateful Peanut invites Milo to a picnic during which he shares his coveted apples with him and other canine attendees, and Peanut and Milo become best friends. Boldt's mixed-media cartoon paintings, executed in a muted palette, feature Dachshund-shaped Peanut and rotund Milo living on opposite sides of a picket fence. Yellow and red apples hang from tree branches in the opening spread and appear in profusion throughout. Humorous vignettes show Milo reading, gardening, and going about his life in peace while an agitated Peanut tries repeatedly to get his apple before it lands in Milo's yard. Youngsters will enjoy the surprise of Milo's generosity and learn that sharing has its rewards.-Marianne Saccardi, formerly at Norwalk Community College, CT (c) Copyright 2012. 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
Dog Peanut loves apples: "His apple tree was his pride and joy." Convinced that his neighbor, Milo, is attempting to steal fruit, Peanut drives himself batty trying to protect it. Peanut's unjustified paranoia may not resonate with kids, but his aversion to sharing might. Boldt's spare, stylish illustrations are more engaging than the story line. (c) Copyright 2012. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
(c) Copyright The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Review by Kirkus Book Review
A dachshund struggles with sharing in this amiable tale. "Peanut was an odd dog." He does not care for bones; rather, he is obsessed with apples. His covetousness leads to paranoia, as he worries neighbor-dog Milo is plotting to steal his prized possessions. Playful, lino-cut print illustrations perfectly express the dogs' personalities. In a series of panels, the artist showcases the silliness of Peanut's suspicion as he comically attempts to save the juiciest of apples from an oblivious Milo. Strong silhouettes make the characters easily identifiable--Peanut is a classic wiener dog, while Milo has pear-shaped heft. Boldt also adroitly utilizes the limited palette of the medium. Earthy pastels and brilliant pops of color lend themselves to a contemporary, modern style. In the end, Peanut learns that Milo, like most dogs, only likes bones, emotionally freeing the pensive pup and opening up his world to friendship. An amusing and charming take on the lessons learned from sharing. (Picture book. 3-5)]] Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
