The case of the fidgety fox

Gr 1-3-Private eyes Bunny Brown and Jack Jones return in a new case. Melvin, a skunk, refuses to drive his bus because his lucky fluffy dice were stolen the night before, and the frustrated passengers can't get to their destinations. At the garage that night, the investigators ask questions and-"Bingo!"-go off to find a young fox anxious about learning to drive. With quips and quick thinking, the partners successfully solve the mystery. Beginning readers will delight in the silliness of the story, and the bright acrylic, gouache, and pencil illustrations add to the fun.-Doris Losey, Tampa-Hillsborough County Public Library, Tampa, FL (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

When someone steals the lucky dice from bus driver Melvin's rear-view mirror, he's emotionally incapable of driving. In their sixth book, Bunny and Jack, a pair of animal detectives, successfully track down the thief and resolve both the thief's and Melvin's problems. The acrylic, gouache, and pencil illustrations of the animal characters are a good match for the silly, easy-to-read text. From HORN BOOK Fall 2003, (c) Copyright 2010. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

Once again, Rylant and Karas (The Case of the Sleepy Sloth, 2002, etc.) demonstrate why they are a cut above the rest when it comes to beginning readers: their verbal and visual sophistication is ever so easy and pleasurable. In their sixth adventure, the high-rise private eyes, Bunny (a bunny) and Jack (a raccoon), are on the track of an errant pair of fuzzy dice--lucky fuzzy dice that the bus driver must have hanging from his mirror or he won't operate the bus. Of course, things are never so simple with these two, who start the proceedings by excising the calm Bunny is enjoying after a yoga session. Which also helps establish a running joke--the importance of potato chips in maintaining one's emotional equilibrium--they will enjoy throughout the story, as well as introducing their cracked sense of humor. Rylant is not above some verbal tomfoolery--" 'Oops, did I scare you?' Jack called. Bunny gave him a look. 'I must have,' said Jack. 'You're all white.' 'Jack, I'm always all white,' said Bunny. 'Oh, all white. Whatever you say,' said Jack"--and Karas is ready to ramp up the imagery, like the smile on Jack's face when he's trying to soothe a ruffled, and very large, bulldog. The perp turns out to have made the kind of mistake any kid might. He learns what he has to do to rectify the situation: "Just tell Melvin you're sorry, okay?" The kind of simple, respectful advice that builds character 12 different ways and entertainment while instructing that's elevated to a particularly high order. (Easy reader. 4-8) Copyright ©Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.

Gr 1-3-Private eyes Bunny Brown and Jack Jones return in a new case. Melvin, a skunk, refuses to drive his bus because his lucky fluffy dice were stolen the night before, and the frustrated passengers can't get to their destinations. At the garage that night, the investigators ask questions and-"Bingo!"-go off to find a young fox anxious about learning to drive. With quips and quick thinking, the partners successfully solve the mystery. Beginning readers will delight in the silliness of the story, and the bright acrylic, gouache, and pencil illustrations add to the fun.-Doris Losey, Tampa-Hillsborough County Public Library, Tampa, FL Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information.