Big Bad Detective Agency by Bruce Hale (review)

Abstract

Reviewed by: Big Bad Detective Agency by Bruce Hale Kate Quealy-Gainer Hale, Bruce Big Bad Detective Agency; written and illus. by Bruce Hale. Scholastic, 2015 [128p] Trade ed. ISBN 978-0-545-66537-7 $15.99 Paper ed. ISBN 978-0-545-66538-4 $4.99 E-book ed. ISBN 978-0-545-74728-8 $15.99 Reviewed from galleys R Gr. 2-4 Wolfgang the wolf will fess up to stealing a chicken or two—or maybe twenty—but he’s pretty sure the moniker of Big Bad Wolf just isn’t fair. When the Three Little [End Page 311] Pigs (who are not little at all but hefty porkers running a construction business) accuse Wolf of breaking into their houses, the royal guard gives Wolf until sundown to either confess or find the real culprit. He reluctantly teams up with Ferkel, the Pigs’ little brother and an aspiring detective, to solve the mystery and clear himself. Their encounters with various suspects provide the most giggleworthy moments here, especially for readers familiar with the original tales. Hansel and Gretel, for example, are not sweet neglected children but surly teenage thieves; Ursula the witch is in love with one of the seven dwarfs; Jack of beanstalk fame is more a klutz than a trickster; and Puss in Boots is hilariously feline, hissing and glaring disdainfully at Ferkel and Wolf as they try to interrogate him. Simple sentences and repeated phrases give this easy reader plenty of accessibility, while the occasional challenging word offers more independent readers an opportunity to stretch their skills. Cartoonish black and white art depicts lively critters and a refreshingly diverse human population for a fairy-tale world. Readers will be happy to return for Wolf and Ferkel’s next big case. Copyright © 2015 The Board of Trustees of the University of Illinois