3 out of 4 stars
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Inca & Company is back for another adventure, only this time the animal detective group is visiting the gorgeous island of Sri Lanka in Serendipity Mystery: Diary of a Snoopy Cat. This is Inca’s seventh adventure written by R.F. Kristi. In order to solve another mystery, Inca is ready to get her paws dirty - or sandy in this case. Inca and her family are happily basking on the golden beach of Sri Lanka and meeting and learning about various animals while they do so. Inca does not mind when the theft of an antique sword interrupts her sunbathing; she greatly enjoys her status as a great detective. The feline investigator utilizes the assistance of a sea turtle, a baby elephant, and the baby elephant’s mother to solve this latest crime.
Kristi begins the story by introducing Inca’s friends and family. Each animal’s introduction includes a picture and a brief biography. I found this to be an important element of the book because there are quite a few characters to keep track of, and Kristi is able to distinguish one character from another right from the beginning. The images of each character are distinct and unique which makes it easier to keep track of who is who throughout the story. Kristi also develops each character’s personality throughout the book. With so many characters, one might think it would be hard for an author to give them each a unique personality. However, Kristi does this quite successfully.
Each character’s personality also shines through in the illustrations. Each image is bright and fun. They will really add to a child’s enjoyment of the book, especially the image of Inca dressed up like royalty. The only thing I don’t care for is that Inca is typically depicted with a sour look on her face. This doesn’t align with her fun, sassy personality.
Kristi introduces more than her main characters to her young readers. She also introduces an array of interesting animals, including sea turtles, elephants, monkeys, pythons, and leopards. The reader learns interesting details about the various animals, such as the fact that sea turtles can live to be more than 100 years old. I like this small educational aspect. The educational element is subtle, which I think will be appealing to both children and their parents. Children are also subtly reminded that anyone can be a friend no matter how different they may seem. They are taught that everyone can be helpful, and their efforts and contributions should be appreciated.
The only thing that Serendipity Mystery lacks is the actual mystery part. The discovery of the whereabouts of the missing item plays a very small role in the book, and the answer is laid out very quickly and succinctly without any investigative work on the part of Inca & Company. The Sri Lankan characters provide all of the information Inca is searching for in order to wrap up the mystery.
Serendipity Mystery is worthy of 3 out of 4 stars. The story itself is worth only three stars as a result of the lack of mystery and detective work involved. I also would have to withhold the fourth star for the number of errors I encountered throughout the book. There are several typos including tempter instead of temper, reading instead of ready, and imagery instead of imaginary. There are also quite a few missing ending quotations, missing commas, and unnecessary commas. These errors did not detract from my enjoyment of the story, but they do need to be addressed to ensure that children are reading books that provide them with examples of proper grammar, spelling, and punctuation. Children between the ages of 8 and 12 will enjoy this story. Those on the younger end of this age bracket may need assistance with some advanced vocabulary that Kristi uses. The illustrations and lack of complexity to the story should keep them engaged. Older children will enjoy learning new words and discovering new things about animals they may have seen at the zoo!
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Serendipity Mystery: Diary of a Snoopy Cat
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