by Ulf Nilsson School Library Journal Gr 1-4-Detective Gordon is a portly toad who would much rather eat cake and drink tea than solve crimes. Alas, being the only policeman in the forest, he agrees to investigate the bothersome case of a squirrel's disappearing stockpile of nuts. While keeping watch over the crime scene, our hapless detective discovers a baby mouse in the act of stealing. Gordon soon realizes that she is not the actual thief but just very hungry. He takes her back to the police station and in short order, bestows upon her the name Buffy and deputizes her. Now working as a team, the two go on to solve the case and catch the crafty criminals. Translated from the original Swedish text, Nilsson offers one of those unique books that deliver age-appropriate content for young but advanced readers. This would also be a good choice for a read aloud in the classroom. The full-color illustrations add whimsy to the tale and perfectly complement this gentle read. VERDICT Hand this one to precocious readers who have graduated from early chapter books but aren't ready for too much strife in their novels.-Amy Nolan, St. Joseph Public Library, St. Joseph, MI (c) Copyright 2015. 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. |
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