Starla Jean Cracks the Case

by Elana K. Arnold, A. N. Kang (Illustrator)

Overview

Starla Jean and her pet chicken, Opal Egg, return in this side-splitting third chapter book, just in time to solve a puzzling mystery that takes them on a chase through the neighborhood!


Have you ever walked a chicken on a leash?

Well, chicken expert Starla Jean will let you know first hand, it's not easy. But that doesn't stop Starla from taking her pet chicken, Opal Egg, and her baby sister, Willa, out on a stroll through the neighborhood.


On their walk, they stumble upon a mysterious bead. And then another! Before they know it, there's a conundrum on their hands, and it's up to Starla and her friends to figure out just who exactly is losing these beads!


Printz Honor winner and National Book Award Finalist Elana K. Arnold is back once more with this irresistible story of a girl, her chicken, and an unfolding mystery, superbly illustrated by A. N. Kang.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781250305800
Publisher:	Roaring Brook Press
Publication date:	04/18/2023
Series:	Starla Jean , #3
Pages:	96
Sales rank:	677,348
Product dimensions:	5.75(w) x 8.55(h) x 0.45(d)
Lexile:	570L (what's this?)
Age Range:	4 - 7 Years

About the Author

Elana K. Arnold is the author of critically acclaimed and award-winning young adult novels and children's books. She lives in Southern California with her family and a menagerie of pets.

A. N. Kang has been working as a children's book author and illustrator ever since her first picture book, The Very Fluffy Kitty, Papillon, published in 2016. Her works include My Big Bad Monster, Celebrate You! and The Squirrel Family Tree.

Editorial Reviews

"A third entry in this pleasant series that showcases the daily adventures of the ever-curious Starla Jean, with quirky humor, large font, and delightful illustrations." - School Library Journal

"Colorful spot art on every page adds information and comedy to the narrative. Accessible and engaging." - Horn Book Magazine

"An egg-cellent addition to this humorous series for readers en route to early chapter books." - Kirkus Reviews

"An amicable exploit for emergent chapter book readers who are fans of the vivacious hen and her equally lively keeper." - Booklist

From the Publisher

01/01/2023

Gr 1–4—Starla Jean and her chicken Opal Egg (who she walks on a leash and treats somewhat like a pet dog) explains that every person is an expert at something. Starla Jean considers herself a chicken expert and shares that her sister loves bubbles, whether it's a bubble bath or blowing them. Her neighbor Dani likes to go looking for buried treasures in the dirt. While on a walk with her sister Willa and Opal Egg, Starla Jean finds a bead and begins to wonder who it belongs to. Finding the bead's owner becomes an entertaining mystery with a satisfying conclusion. This is a great introductory series for children who are beginning to read on their own. Main characters are cued as white. VERDICT A third entry in this pleasant series that showcases the daily adventures of the ever-curious Starla Jean, with quirky humor, large font, and delightful illustrations.

School Library Journal

2023-03-14
Starla Jean and her bug-eyed side-chicken, Opal Egg, are back for a third neighborhood adventure…and this time it’s a mystery!

Starla Jean, expert on all things chicken-related, embarks on a well-meaning but rather erratic walk with her beloved pet and her bubble-obsessed little sister, Willa. Along the way, they uncover a handful of mysterious beads. More neighbors join the walk until the case is finally cracked, just in time for a bubble-filled celebration. Starla Jean’s indelible voice continues to be the strength of this series, especially evident in the polished comedic timing of the dialogue. In Chapter 1, Starla Jean introduces each of her neighbors in the same order she encounters them in the following three chapters. This structure, along with the large font and plentiful white space around and between words, provides support for developing readers transitioning to early chapter books. Similar in visual layout and text complexity to Laurel Snyder and Emily Hughes’ Charlie & Mouse series, each page has a handful of sentences with occasionally challenging vocabulary. There are a few idioms that may be a little daunting to readers, but overall the text uses familiar words and phrases. The playful illustrations feature soft colors and humorous facial expressions. Even readers unfamiliar with Starla Jean’s world will take to this winsome tale. Starla Jean, Willa, and most characters are depicted with pale skin; neighbor Nate is brown-skinned.

An egg-cellent addition to this humorous series for readers en route to early chapter books. (Fiction. 6-9)

Kirkus Reviews