Something Smells Fishy

April 1, 2016

Gr 1-4-Rider Woofson is head of the Pups Investigators Pack, the best crew of pet detectives in all of Pawston. In their first mystery, Rider and his crew must figure out who stole the Tiger's Eye from its display at the Cat's Meow jewelry store. Following the trail of clues, they find themselves at a performance of aerial monkeys and on the right path to the stolen goods. In their second adventure, Prince Bubbles is in town to receive the key to the city, but when Red Herring shows up claiming that the prince is an impostor, the crew get caught up in a case that's pretty fishy. The jokes run cheesy and include lots of animal humor and puns, some of which may be over the heads of the targeted age range. This book leans heavily on stereotypes; all of the bad guys are illustrated with furrowed brows, spiked collars, or pointy teeth. The series so far includes only one female protagonist, and while the other characters do refer to her as smart, they first mention that she's pretty. VERDICT Visually attractive but passable offerings for emerging readers.-Shana Morales, Windsor Public Library, Windsor, CT

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