PRESCHOOL
Soman, David , Davis, Jacky

Agent Lion

(2) PS Illustrated by David Soman. Ms. Flamingo's cat Fluffy is missing, but Agent Lion is on the case...sort of. He means well and works hard--he is often shown with his tongue at the side of his mouth, like a child concentrating intently--but he's far from sharp-witted. During his investigation, he asks Ms. Flamingo if Fluffy has antlers and tries to peg a pigeon as the cat in disguise. As the lovable, bike-riding, snack-loving detective tries to find Fluffy, readers explore his town and the characters therein, rendered in pale watercolors; light teals and pinks with touches of vivid purple mark this cozy community of anthropomorphized animals. Occasional intentional contradictions in text and art accentuate the humor: the line "He took the absolutely most direct route" is illustrated with an aerial view of Agent Lion's circuitous path to Ms. Flamingo's home, marked by stops for popcorn, ice cream, and jelly donuts (his favorite). Expect more giggles over the visual hyperbole, such as a tall apartment building bending over due to the loud wails of Ms. Hippo's babies, awakened from their nap by Agent Lion. This spin on the bumbling detective trope will delight readers; children love to see a grown-up making so many mistakes, and Agent Lion has personality to spare.

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