Dressed in the traditional trench coat and fedora hat that are the trademarks of real detectives, Detective Beans -known as Jellybean to his mother is a tabby cat who takes his job seriously. He believes he is “a hard-boiled detective cleaning up this city one case at a time” is back on the job after solving the mystery of his missing hat.
This time there are many mysteries to solve in between playing Scrabble, having sleepovers and trips to the beach, including who ate Mum’s donuts, who has lost their handbag in the park, which pigeon stole King Chip, or even a burgled diamond ring. Beans is ready for anything. He’s so ready that he’s even starting a detective school – if he can find any students . . .
It's interesting to watch younger students gravitate towards the graphic novel section of a local school library searching for something in that format that is suitable for both their ability, interest and maturity. Clearly they have the notion that this the format that real readers read, but it is seldom that they find something to meet their needs, so they will be happy to discover this one which will appeal. A clever but funny cat who is also a detective who solves everyday crimes is much more suitable, particularly if they can solve the mystery before Detective Beans does. (I am NOT responsible for the collection development or arrangement of this library.)
Told through the perspective of his friend Biscuit presenting a documentary featuring some of Bean's more colourful jobs, there are over 30 short stories told in comic form that showcase a variety of Cat Town's characters who need his help whether it’s a duck who has been burgled or finding Mr Kipper's gloves, interspersed with some of his daily activities and his ambitions to be a graphic artist himself, so that he is a more-rounded personality that readers will relate to. Even though it is 208 pages, each adventure is a manageable entity making it a good pick-up-and-put-down entry into this format for younger reader, particularly as the text is not written in all upper-case as is usual with graphic novels.
This review can also be found here.
Recommended by: Barbara Braxton, Teacher Librarian, New South Wales AUSTRALIA
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The world's cutest cat detective is back on the case in this indie bestselling series. Li Chen's newest Detective Beans adventures are a must-read for anyone who loves mystery stories, cute animals, and hilarious original storytelling.
Detective Beans is back on the case! In this series of mysteries and adventures, the world's cutest cat detective comes to the aid of her fellow villagers, searching for a cookie thief (with surprising results!), aiding a deceptive duck in the recovery of lost goods, and even doing his best to help a confused bear prove that the moon is made of cheese. In addition to these small capers, Adventures in Cat Town features behind-the-scenes footage of the crime-solving documentary directed by Beans best friend, Biscuits, as well as comics, stories, and even horoscopes illustrated by Beans himself. Called a "must-read" by School Library Journal and "absurdly funny and clever" by Kirkus, it's no mystery why this new series is such a hit!---from the publisher
208 pages 979-8881602215 Ages 7-10
Keywords: graphic novel, mystery and detective, humor, adventure, duck, bear, cats, 7 year old, 8 year old, 9 year old, 10 year old, chapter book, part of a series
