Wallace and Grace Take the Case

by Heather Alexander, Laura Zarrin (Illustrator)

Overview

This charming mystery series in the Read & Bloom line will be the perfect pathway to chapter books like Cam Jansen or Fancy Nancy, Super Sleuth.

The Read & Bloom line offers high interest, character driven stories for newly independent readers that feature full-color illustrations throughout and will transition kids from leveled readers to a lifetime of reading.

In this delightful series, kids will be treated to simple whodunit mysteries as an utterly delightful owl duo put their heads together. In their first adventure, Wallace and Grace meet a rabbit who is sure he saw a ghost! But the clues lead them in a different direction. Something is spooking the garden . . . Can Wallace and Grace solve this case?

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781619639898
Publisher:	Bloomsbury USA
Publication date:	11/06/2018
Series:	Wallace and Grace
Edition description:	Reprint
Pages:	80
Sales rank:	166,949
Product dimensions:	5.80(w) x 7.90(h) x 0.40(d)
Age Range:	5 - 7 Years

About the Author

Heather Alexander is the author the early-chapter book series, The Amazing Stardust Friends, and the middle-grade novel, Picture Perfect #1: Bending Over Backwards. The former editorial director of Parachute Press, Heather has edited over 100 children's fiction series, including the best-selling Goosebumps and the early-chapter mystery series, The New Adventures of Mary-Kate & Ashley. Heather lives in Basking Ridge, New Jersey, with her husband and two daughters. www.heatheralexanderbooks.com

Laura Zarrin spent her childhood in the St. Louis area exploring creeks, woods, and attic closets, with plenty of tree climbing and digging for artifacts in the backyard all in preparation for her future career as an archeologist. She never became one because she realized she's much happier drawing. Laura lives in Silicon Valley in California with her very logical husband and teen sons, and their illogical dog, Cody.
www.laurazarrinstudios.com
@Laura Zarrin

Editorial Reviews

Zarrin's cozy color artwork and Alexander's chirpy narrative energize a story that highlights the rewards of mutual respect, collaboration, and friendship.” —Publishers Weekly

“The language is accessible, and full-color cartoonish illustrations . . . Throughout the book are a change from many black-and-white chapter books . . . Wallace and Grace are a good team for the younger set.” —Kirkus Reviews

“This gentle mystery supports newly independent readers, with short sentences, repetition, in-text definitions, and color illustrations. Bubbly Grace and keen-eyed Wallace make an ace detective team who ably demonstrate the value of teamwork and friendship.” —Booklist

From the Publisher

05/22/2017
As partners in the Night Owl Detective Agency, owls Wallace and Grace always find out “whooo-done-it!” in this first book in an early chapter book series, part of the Read & Bloom line. With no case to crack when night falls, the friends decide to play hide-and-seek instead; while doing so, they run into their rabbit pal, Edgar, who asks them to chase away the ghost that’s haunting his favorite kale patch. The owls think they have the case cracked when they discover a bed sheet missing from a clothesline but are forced to reconsider. “A bedsheet making spooky noises does not make sense,” notes Wallace. “Case not closed,” Grace concurs. Alexander (the Amazing Stardust Friends series) sets the light, brisk-moving mystery over four chapters, and her ghost story ends with an “aww” rather than a “boo.” Zarrin’s cozy color artwork and Alexander’s chirpy narrative energize a story that highlights the rewards of mutual respect, collaboration, and friendship. The sleuths are back on the job in Wallace and Grace and the Cupcake Caper, available simultaneously. Ages 5–7. (May)

Publishers Weekly

2017-03-06
A new chapter-book series for young mystery fans kicks off.Wallace and Grace are partners in the Night Owl Detective Agency. Wallace is a fairly typical brown owl, but Grace is adorned with a shiny gold necklace and a red-and-white bow. "Grace liked to use big words." Her vocabulary is extensive, including "quandary," "investigate," and "courageous," and is explained in the text. Occasional puns may make adults groan, but kids will laugh: "Wallace and Grace always found out whooo-done-it!" Their first case involves Edgar the rabbit. He sees a ghost who makes spooky noises in the garden. The owls listen to his description, make notes, and hold a brief conference to decide whether to take the case. The two use their owlish abilities, things that Edgar can't do, like spying things in the distance and twisting their heads around to look in both directions. They soon realize that the ghost is a sheet from the clothesline, stolen by Mother Cat to "keep her kittens cozy," and the spooky noise is the mewing of the kittens. The mystery is simple, and the male and female partners invite interest across a broad readership. The language is accessible, and full-color cartoonish illustrations, created with pencil and Photoshop (a mix of whole-page and smaller vignettes), throughout the book are a change from many black-and-white chapter books. Nick and Nora they're not, but Wallace and Grace are a good team for the younger set. (Mystery. 6-8)

Kirkus Reviews