The Eye That Never Sleeps

September 1, 2018

Gr 2-4-This quirkily illustrated biography of Allan Pinkerton, the man who created the Pinkerton agency, focuses on a thwarted assassination attempt of the newly elected President Lincoln. Born and raised in Scotland, Pinkerton began his career promoting workers' rights and eventually had to flee to the United States to escape the British government. A keen observer, he went on to start a successful detective agency, cultivating a growing reputation for professionalism and success. In 1860, he was hired by a railroad company to protect the line from secessionists who were threatening to blow up the tracks around Washington, DC. While investigating, Pinkerton uncovered a plot to ambush and kill Lincoln. Moss evokes a mysterious and exciting old-fashioned tale of espionage here. Holmes's carefully researched artwork, which he explains in a note, was inspired by newspaper mastheads, period fashion, and even board games from the era. The artist created a digital scratchboard to make the engaging illustrations, which are rendered in comic-style panels throughout, with a muted orange, brown, and violet color pallet. VERDICT A great pick for kids who can't get enough spy stories. Purchase in libraries where history and biography are in demand.-Kristy Pasquariello, Westwood Public Library, MA

Copyright 2018 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

September 1, 2018
In her second picture book about the Pinkertons (Kate Warne, Pinkerton Detective, 2017), Moss brings to light the agency's prevention of an early assassination attempt on Abraham Lincoln.Allan Pinkerton "had sharp eyes, a quick mind, and a hunger for justice." In 1860, Pinkerton and his detective agency were hired to protect president-elect Lincoln on the train journey to his inauguration. Secessionists were plotting to assassinate Lincoln in Baltimore, before he could reach Washington and become president. Thanks to careful planning and the hard work of many agents (including Kate Warne), Pinkerton was able to safely escort Lincoln to his destination and prevent this early assassination attempt. Moss' prose is clear and engaging, filled with intriguing details. Pages with images in panels are interspersed with full-page spreads, and Pinkerton himself is frequently shown with a beam of light emanating from his oversized golden-yellow half-moon eyes. With a palette of dusty jewel tones, Holmes' digitally rendered scratchboard illustrations are bold and intriguing. However, the book's busy, heavily stylized design frequently dominates the text and hampers the narrative flow, often causing the text and illustrations to feel disjointed. A timeline, artist's note, author's note, endnotes, and bibliography are included. Index unseen.Design flaws aside, a thorough and compelling introduction to Pinkerton's work. (Informational picture book. 6-9)

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Starred review from October 1, 2018
Moss (Kate Warne, Pinkerton Detective) revisits the Pinkerton National Detective Agency, deftly folding the story of a thwarted assassination attempt on then-president-elect Abraham Lincoln into the larger tale of the famous agency’s beginnings. Born in 1819, Allan Pinkerton, a poor Scottish immigrant to America, goes from barrel maker to Chicago police detective to the owner of the most successful detective agency in the U.S. by the 1850s. When secessionists conspire to shoot Lincoln during his train trip to his inauguration, Pinkerton and his agents foil the plot. Holmes (Secrets of the Dragon Tomb) employs a digital scratchboard technique for a woodcut look; the detailed illustrations invite detectivelike inspection, while the limited color palette and multi-paneled spreads evoke a graphic novel style. Bearded Pinkerton is depicted with orange glasses that cast a spotlight on whatever he eyes. With a narrative that moves along effortlessly, his history of the company whose eyeball logo inspired the term “private eye” will keep aspiring sleuths hooked with its intrigue. Ages 6–9.