A good-hearted, educational, and affirming adventure that might have reached its full potential with a few adjustments.
A girl and her granddad team up to solve mysteries in this debut children’s novel by a granddaughter-grandfather writing team.
When 12-year-old Keira and her grandfather, “Papa,” a retired CIA operative, discover a “magic hat” giving her encyclopedic knowledge, the Keira and Papa Detective Agency embarks on its first case: the theft of England’s crown jewels. Among the other main characters are Uncle Commish, the head of Scotland Yard; a stiff-necked secretary to the queen; and the queen herself, who is counting on the pair “to solve the greatest jewel theft in history.” The story also includes overt lessons in self-confidence and coping skills, as when Papa says to Keira, “Like you, I have a good imagination. I use it to solve problems, not avoid them, something I am sure you can learn to do as well.” At another point Keira says, “I like to get credit when I do something nice. On the other hand, the idea of just letting the recognition surface without bragging makes the deed more genuine and sincere.” However, the narrative’s momentum moves it quickly past these lessons. The intent of this junior spy adventure isn’t subtle—Martin is an activist for children at risk—but it still has an appealing mix of storytelling, education, and child-focused empowerment, all presented in a framework of humor, colorful detail, and mild action. Sometimes, however, a cloying quality distracts (“Not only are you an amazing spy, but also you have to be the kindest person I have ever known”); it’s also far too babyish for tween Keira hold her doll up for Papa to kiss. In addition, the use of the American Girl brand name, complete with a trademark symbol, reads disconcertingly like product placement. A thoughtful list of ways in which grandparents can be “a great resource, someone you can go to discuss many of the mysteries of everyday life” follows the story’s conclusion. An upcoming second installment, The Case of the Missing Key, will feature a treasure hunt set in Panama.
A good-hearted, educational, and affirming adventure that might have reached its full potential with a few adjustments.Pub Date: June 26, 2015
ISBN: 978-0-9908317-0-9
Page Count: 142
Publisher: DreamChaser Publishing
Review Posted Online: Jan. 12, 2016
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
BOOK REVIEW
Broccoli: No way is James going to eat broccoli. “It’s disgusting,” says James. Well then, James, says his father, let’s consider the alternatives: some wormy dirt, perhaps, some stinky socks, some pre-chewed gum? James reconsiders the broccoli, but—milk? “Blech,” says James. Right, says his father, who needs strong bones? You’ll be great at hide-and-seek, though not so great at baseball and kickball and even tickling the dog’s belly. James takes a mouthful. So it goes through lumpy oatmeal, mushroom lasagna and slimy eggs, with James’ father parrying his son’s every picky thrust. And it is fun, because the father’s retorts are so outlandish: the lasagna-making troll in the basement who will be sent back to the rat circus, there to endure the rodent’s vicious bites; the uneaten oatmeal that will grow and grow and probably devour the dog that the boy won’t be able to tickle any longer since his bones are so rubbery. Schneider’s watercolors catch the mood of gentle ribbing, the looks of bewilderment and surrender and the deadpanned malarkey. It all makes James’ father’s last urging—“I was just going to say that you might like them if you tried them”—wholly fresh and unexpected advice. (Early reader. 5-9)
Pub Date: May 1, 2011
ISBN: 978-0-547-14956-1
Page Count: 48
Publisher: Clarion Books
Review Posted Online: April 4, 2011
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 1, 2011
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
The seemingly ageless Seeger brings back his renowned giant for another go in a tuneful tale that, like the art, is a bit sketchy, but chockful of worthy messages. Faced with yearly floods and droughts since they’ve cut down all their trees, the townsfolk decide to build a dam—but the project is stymied by a boulder that is too huge to move. Call on Abiyoyo, suggests the granddaughter of the man with the magic wand, then just “Zoop Zoop” him away again. But the rock that Abiyoyo obligingly flings aside smashes the wand. How to avoid Abiyoyo’s destruction now? Sing the monster to sleep, then make it a peaceful, tree-planting member of the community, of course. Seeger sums it up in a postscript: “every community must learn to manage its giants.” Hays, who illustrated the original (1986), creates colorful, if unfinished-looking, scenes featuring a notably multicultural human cast and a towering Cubist fantasy of a giant. The song, based on a Xhosa lullaby, still has that hard-to-resist sing-along potential, and the themes of waging peace, collective action, and the benefits of sound ecological practices are presented in ways that children will both appreciate and enjoy. (Picture book. 5-9)
Pub Date: Oct. 1, 2001
ISBN: 0-689-83271-0
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Simon & Schuster
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 15, 2001
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