FICTION

The Great Cake Mystery

Precious Ramotswe's Very First Case
The Great Cake Mystery: Precious Ramotswe's Very First Case. illus. by Iain McIntosh. 74p. Anchor. Apr. 2012. Tr $12.99. ISBN 978-0-307-94944-8; PLB $13.99. ISBN 978-0-307-94945-5; pap. $6.99. ISBN 978-0-307-74389-3; ebook $6.99. ISBN 978-0-307-74390-9. LC number unavailable.
COPY ISBN
Gr 1–3—Young readers are introduced to Precious Ramotswe, a young sleuth in Botswana, in this prequel to the adult series "The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency" (Pantheon). Trouble occurs when tasty treats disappear in her school. When word gets out, Precious is on the case. Observant readers will find the biggest clue to solving the mystery on the front cover. Primitive in nature and using only red, brown, and black on cream paper, the illustrations are minimal and the characters appear to be adults rather than children. The story is predictable and unlikely to have beginning chapter book readers awaiting Precious's next case.—Janene Corbin, Rosebank Elementary School, Nashville, TN
This early chapter book features a young Precious Ramotswe, star of the No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency series for adults. The mystery Precious solves--who is behind the thefts on the school playground?--is audience-appropriate; the prose style is welcoming; the Botswana village setting is evoked clearly. The page design is generous and inviting, with wide margins and plentiful spot illustrations.

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