Travis Nichols (Matthew Meets the Man) serves up a graphic novel–picture book hybrid brimming with idioms and wordplay, starring a host of creature detectives in the Gumshoe Zoo.
When Quentin, the goat on duty, gets a call from Mr. Hound about a broken store window, he sends out an alert to his colleagues. Nichols paints the goat as the hub, with arrows stretching like the spokes of a wheel (to Mike, a bull in a china shop; Steve the monkey in a barrel; and Morgan the chicken, counting eggs before they hatch--to name a few). The creatures find it nearly impossible not to insult a teammate as they announce their findings. Josie the fish admits "there is some definite monkey business at hand," then apologizes to Steve. Josie the rat "suspect[s] foul play," then apologizes to feathered friend Morgan ("No need, Josie. That was F-O-U-L. I'm a chicken. That's F-O-W-L," says he). Sharon the duck finds the telltale clue that leads to the mystery's solution. Offbeat colors such as eggplant, burnt orange and forest green give the book a retro feel, and an ending announcing the threat of a "beast of oxymoronic proportions" promises another case for the Gumshoe Zoo.
For best results, give this to a kid who enjoys puzzles and witty turns of phrase. Helpful endnotes explain the term "idiom" and the book's most prominent examples of them. Readers will be clamoring to solve the next installment. --Jennifer M. Brown, children's editor, Shelf Awareness