Emergent readers will enjoy solving the mystery along with these delightful Sherlocks.
The dynamic duo of lovable canine detective King and his human, Kayla, returns to solve another mystery.
King and Kayla are playing in the snow with pal Mason when Asia, another friend, joins them, proudly displaying a special gold ring. After the cold forces them inside, Mom puts their wet outer garments in the dryer, and they’re ready for snack time. When Asia discovers that her gold ring is gone, children and dog take the mystery seriously and go into search mode. They retrace their steps, examine every nook and cranny (with some help from Mom, who demonstrates her plumbing skills), and follow up every possibility as they put their well-honed problem-solving skills to the test. King has a few ideas of his own, but he’s frustrated because even Kayla can’t understand his doggie language. He winds up locked in the laundry room, where he spots something shiny in the dryer. The case is closed, to everyone’s delight and relief. King narrates the tale with happy, enthusiastic aplomb, pausing the action frequently to note his many favorite things, mostly food. Butler keeps syntax and vocabulary simple, with brief sentences separated by lots of white space and organized in logical chapters. Meyers’ cartoons illuminate the tale, depicting the body language and expressive faces of all the characters, human and canine, with great animation and adding many touches of humor. Asia, Kayla, and Kayla’s mom present Black, and Mason presents White.
Emergent readers will enjoy solving the mystery along with these delightful Sherlocks. (Early reader/mystery. 5-8)Pub Date: Feb. 1, 2021
ISBN: 978-1-68263-207-9
Page Count: 48
Publisher: Peachtree
Review Posted Online: Dec. 14, 2020
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 1, 2021
This outing lacks the sophistication of such category standards as Clementine; here’s hoping English amps things up for...
A gentle voice and familiar pitfalls characterize this tale of a boy navigating the risky road to responsibility.
Gavin is new to his neighborhood and Carver Elementary. He likes his new friend, Richard, and has a typically contentious relationship with his older sister, Danielle. When Gavin’s desire to impress Richard sets off a disastrous chain of events, the boy struggles to evade responsibility for his actions. “After all, it isn’t his fault that Danielle’s snow globe got broken. Sure, he shouldn’t have been in her room—but then, she shouldn’t be keeping candy in her room to tempt him. Anybody would be tempted. Anybody!” opines Gavin once he learns the punishment for his crime. While Gavin has a charming Everyboy quality, and his aversion to Aunt Myrtle’s yapping little dog rings true, little about Gavin distinguishes him from other trouble-prone protagonists. He is, regrettably, forgettable. Coretta Scott King Honor winner English (Francie, 1999) is a teacher whose storytelling usually benefits from her day job. Unfortunately, the pizzazz of classroom chaos is largely absent from this series opener.
This outing lacks the sophistication of such category standards as Clementine; here’s hoping English amps things up for subsequent volumes. (Fiction. 6-9)Pub Date: Dec. 17, 2013
ISBN: 978-0-547-97044-8
Page Count: 128
Publisher: Clarion Books
Review Posted Online: Oct. 1, 2013
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Oct. 15, 2013
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
Disconcerting and possibly deadly dealings are afoot; certain to charm younger fans of the macabre.
In the latest installment of the delightfully disturbing chapter-book series, the mundane once more takes on supernatural qualities, this time in the form of veggies.
With this follow-up to Troubling Tonsils! (2025), our host, Jasper Rabbit, once more channels Twilight Zone creator Rod Serling. As Jasper narrates, we meet our heroes: fourth graders Thaddeus Badger and Oliver Possum, who love nothing more than eating junk food, particularly the hamburgers at Hurt-A-Burger (a mildly brilliant corporate name on the author’s part). When Oliver’s parents trick the two into a dinner of salads at their favorite fast-food joint, Thaddeus feels betrayed, but Oliver experiences something a little more dire. Soon after, Oliver starts acting strangely, and his parents begin behaving even more oddly. What’s going on? And does it have anything to do with the full moon? Tone is the true star of the show in this series; the mystery unspools thanks to the buildup of unnerving moments. Reynolds combines suspense with a keen ability to artistically frame both sunny innocent sequences and those rich with dark foreboding. Notably, this is no morality tale about eating your vegetables—this tale is fully on the side of its child readers. Brown’s black-and-white images, punctuated with eerie pops of green, heighten both horrifying and comedic moments.
Disconcerting and possibly deadly dealings are afoot; certain to charm younger fans of the macabre. (Chapter book. 6-9)Pub Date: Feb. 3, 2026
ISBN: 9781665961110
Page Count: 96
Publisher: Simon & Schuster
Review Posted Online: Oct. 25, 2025
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Dec. 1, 2025
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