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Illustrated by
Nancy Meyers.
In "The Problem of Thor Bridge," Sherlock Holmes states this maxim of detecting: "We must look for consistency." With her seventh series entry about amateur investigators King (a dog) and Kayla (his human), Butler continues to follow Holmes's advice in the development of both plot and structure. This time, the two intrepid companions search for a missing ring, making a hypothesis and then either confirming or rejecting it through careful study of the facts. King narrates their adventure in his now-established animated voice that enthusiastically repeats familiar phrases: "I LOVE [insert King's place of the moment or what he's doing or eating]. It's my favorite thing!" Along with such familiar refrains, this book contains short chapters, natural language, and numerous digitally colored illustrations that mirror the text, giving newly independent readers a boost when navigating all those pages. As Kayla and her friends search the spots where they think the ring may have been dropped, King operates under his own theory. Although they don't have to, readers can test their individual problem-solving skills and crack this mystery before its heroes do.
Reviewer: Betty Carter
| Horn Book Magazine Issue:
March, 2021