The Mystery of the Missing Lion

August 1, 2014
Young Precious Ramotswe again shows why she eventually grows up to be the founder of the No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency. Aunty Bee has invited Precious to visit her in the beautiful Okavango Delta. The little detective arrives at Eagle Island Camp to discover that a film company is making a movie there. Precious makes friends with Khumo, and together they follow the crew. The star of the movie is a trained lion named Teddy, and soon Khumo and Precious find themselves part of the film crew by making animal noises to prompt Teddy to act. But though Teddy is a trained lion, the allure of the bush proves too tempting, and he disappears. The owners fret over the loss, and everyone is worried about his ability to survive in the bush. Precious' powers of observation, spectacular guinea-fowl impression and sense of doing the right thing come to the rescue again. McIntosh's detailed, black-and-white illustrations add an old-fashioned air to the story. The straightforward plot, easy vocabulary and compelling setting make this a perfect step up from early chapter books. That McCall Smith brings a great sense of fun to his prose heightens the appeal: Precious' guinea-fowl impression sounds "a bit like the noise a hen makes, only it was a bit more...well, spotted." Precious' keen sense of right and wrong will inspire readers; her powers of observation may inspire budding detectives. (Mystery. 7-11)

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July 1, 2014

Gr 2-4-Precious is nine years old and enjoying all that life in Botswana has to offer. A letter from her aunt, who lives in the Okavango Delta, invites her niece to join her for a few days at her home at Eagle Island Camp. Along the way, Precious uses her sharp, problem-solving skills and generous nature to get her traveling companions to their destination. Upon arrival, Precious discovers that a film crew is at the camp shooting a movie, and Precious is allowed to watch and, even better, assist. The child is much appreciated for her hard work and diligence when she is called upon to use her developing detective skills to solve a mystery involving a trained lion, an intergral part of the movie, that disappears. The author's detailed storytelling skills take readers right into the lush Okavango Delta. This easy chapter book is great for cross-curricular projects on Botswana or safari animals, and the spot art does a wonderful job of calling attention to subtleties of the story. A must-have title that exemplifies diversity in fiction.-Amy Shepherd, St. Anne's Episcopal School, Middleton, DE

Copyright 2014 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

July 1, 2014
Grades 2-4 The third mystery featuring Precious Ramotswe, who grows up to found the No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency, centers around a visit with her aunt. Aunty Bee lives at the top of Botswana in the Okavango Delta, a wild part of the country and home to a variety of animals. When Precious arrives, she does meet up with a liona tame one that's appearing in a movie that's being shot on location. In the simple mystery that follows, Precious is able to locate the lion when it disappears into the bush. Whether a tame lion would be able to assimilate so quickly with a native pride as depicted here is debatable, but children will probably be more astounded by the freedom Precious has, from getting a ride on a crowded truck with virtual strangers as she travels north to heading off in a canoe on a river surrounded by untamed forests. This is an attractive package, with a compact but entertaining mystery full of fascinating details bolstered by McIntosh's intriguing graphic illustrations. HIGH-DEMAND BACKSTORY: McCall Smith has yet another hit on his hands with this early chapter-book series, and fans will be waiting.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2014, American Library Association.)