(3) K-3 Illustrated by Eric Comstock. It's 3:30 p.m., and Charlie Piechart--just a regular kid with a pie chart for a torso--must find his dog in time for a 4:15 groomer's appointment. As in the previous Charlie Piechart books, the boy sleuth arms himself with math and logic. It's a compelling educational caper, with winning throwback art in retro colors like mustard and aqua.

Reviewer: Nell Beram

(3) K-3 Illustrated by Eric Comstock. Child sleuth Charlie must find a classmate's missing cone-shaped princess hat, which she needs for that evening's school play. The authors offer an easy-does-it introduction to three-dimensional geometric shapes without derailing the story's mystery engine. The art is retro-style with a twist: Charlie has a pie-chart torso, and the cast's skin colors include purple and blue. Activities and a seek-and-find challenge are appended.

Reviewer: Nell Beram

(3) K-3 Illustrated by Eric Comstock. Pizza night at Charlie's house goes awry when a slice vanishes into thin air. Charlie, who's pictured with a pie-chart torso, plays detective, using deductive reasoning and fractions to narrow down his suspect list. Written with numerals and presented graphically, fractions fit quite neatly into the playful mystery. Retro, mid-century-styled illustrations feature clues and math concepts.

Reviewer: Tanya D. Auger