HAMSTER AND CHEESE

There is skullduggery afoot at Mr. Venezi’s Pets & Stuff: Someone keeps stealing his sandwich, which he puts outside the koala cage every day. No, he doesn’t sell koalas; they’re really hamsters, but Mr. Venezi is both shortsighted and incompetent (though very kind). The only cage that’s correctly labeled is the one holding the guinea pig—but someone has stolen the G, so little Hamisher the koala, er, hamster has decided that guinea pig Sasspants must be a P.I. and therefore can crack the case. Venable’s series opener just gets loonier. The irascible Sasspants would rather be reading, but, seeing that Hamisher won’t leave her alone, she swings into action. The actual mystery plays second fiddle to the over-the-top characterizations and snappy dialogue: The goldfish are thoroughly brainless, Gerry the corn snake is inscrutable, the chinchillas are prima donnas (one of them has a pet white mouse). Yue’s graphic panels, colored by Hi-Fi Design, make the most of the comic potential and extend it with plenty of visual slapstick. Middle graders will close this and ask right away for Detective Pants’s next caper. (animal facts) (Graphic mystery. 8-12)