Fabio is the world's greatest flamingo detective. Never heard of one of those before. He's thin, pink, and very very clever. Alongside him, fighting for justice, is his loyal friend Gilbert the giraffe. He hasn't mastered the art of disguise but Gilbert's very good at questioning people.
Zazie the wealthy fox owns the priceless Laluzi ruby. There's a rhyme about the ruby that says it can only be owned by those who have a true heart, otherwise it will find a new owner. And whilst on the fastest train in the world, the ruby has gone missing. It's Fabio and Gilbert's job to figure out who stole it, how they did it, and try and get it back. Will Fabio manage to name the criminal?
I enjoyed this mystery, even though I kind of figured out what had happened. I liked the names of the characters, and how there were lots of clues but not enough to give it away totally and completely. It's fun to try and figure it out yourself.
I didn't like that it was a bit too obvious who'd stolen it, and for me, the book was a bit too short. For younger readers or people who don't like long books, it would be good, because it also has lots of nice illustrations to break it up.
Fabio, The World's Greatest Flamingo Detective - Mystery on the Ostrich Express
Written by Laura James
Illustrated by Emily Fox
Published by Bloomsbury (2019)
121 pages
- Sep 13, 2024
- 1 min read
Alyssa's mum and dad are breaking up and it's really embarrassing. They had a huge fight in the cereal aisle of the supermarket, which went from whispers.... to raised voices.
Now, Alyssa has been sent to her Auntie Jasmine's house. Boooring! She has to stay there for three weeks. Boooooooring! She learns that Auntie Jasmine is magic, her whole family is magic, she's magic herself, and there is a spell garden full of banana ferns, bunny shrubs and flicker bees. Boooor - hang on, that's not boring at all. In fact, it's really exciting, just like this book.
This book was thrilling and I totally didn't expect the twist at the end! (I won't give any spoilers, but it's so shocking). There's loads of magic, it's action packed and when Alyssa got in the car to drive to London, I bet she wasn't expecting the adventure of her life. There are some sad moments and Alyssa goes through a lot with her parents breaking up, and she has a lot to learn with all of this magic-y stuff.
I liked how each chapter had a plant name and use - eg. Passionflower (for peace and calm).
I really recommend it if you want a book full of adventure and a big surprise at the end!
Alyssa and the Spell Garden
Written by Alexandra Sheppard
Illustrated by Bex Glendining
Published by Faber & Faber
- Jun 5, 2024
- 1 min read
Unexpected, unexpected aaaannnndddd unexpected. There was hardly anything about this book that was predictable. And that was a good thing.
You are introduced to Frank, the person who tells the story. Frank is half human (on his mother's side) and half troll (that bit comes from dad). He has copper eyes which means he is no human.
When Prince Grobah arrives from the sparrow goblin family, he's only as tall as Frank's knee, yet he's starts destroying the hotel. He uses the fountain as his personal wading pool and wrecks the lawn. He upsets all the visitors and uses everyone as his slave.
But that's not all. It turns out the little prince is hiding something. What a cheek. And it's Frank and his family's duty to set things right.
This book was exciting and adventurous - I think most of my friends would enjoy this.
Nothing to See Here Hotel
Written by Steven Butler
Illustrated by Steven Lenton
192 pages
Published by Simon & Schuster Ltd
