Review by Cazrichmond -- Cat Detectives in the Korean Pe...

[Caroline Anne Richmond]

[Following is a volunteer review of "Cat Detectives in the Korean Peninsula" by R.F. Kristi.]

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4 out of 4 stars

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Inca, a very special Siberian cat, embraces a new adventure in Cat Detectives in the Korean Peninsula: Diary of a Snoopy Cat. This is the eighth book by R.F. Kristi from the Inca series. With her faithful family of cats, dogs and a hamster comprising the pet detective agency, they embark on some serious snooping in a case to bring a family together.

Their humanoid and mom, Missy, has the exciting task of being a judge at a French Patisserie competition organized by a famous French cooking school. The contest is to be held in Seoul, South Korea, which gives Missy the chance to showcase her world class cheese. Missy is a proud owner of a cheese shop, which suits Inca’s brother, Fromage, a rather rotund tabby cat, as his primary passion in life is eating cheese.

With all their passports ready and the exciting news that Solo, a human detective, and his right-hand dog, Terrance, will join them, they prepare for their adventure. After a long flight, they arrive in South Korea and are met by their tour-guide, Ye-Jun, who invites the travelers to stay at his house, which offers more space for the family. Terrance, the detective dog, is delighted to meet Baram, Ye-Jun’s female dog, and is immediately taken by how pretty she is.

Inca and all her friends and family enjoy sightseeing in South Korea, and Fromage is happy to escort Missy to showcase her marvelous cheese. As they get to know their friendly host, Ye-Jun, they realize he is very sad about his sister, Ji, and her cat Bo-Mi, because they no longer live with him. Ji and Bo-Mi took a trip to North Korea to visit relations, but never returned. With this knowledge, Inca is determined to reunite the family and sets her agency in motion to help Ye-Jun.

Combined in this book is a mixture of brilliant characters, amazing locations, education and important messages to children. The animal characters are the focus of the book, with each one having a unique personality and particular attributes. There are comical parts to the characters, such as Inca having a high opinion of herself, Fromage being very greedy and motivated by cheese and Terrance’s lovable and loyal dog characteristics. I particularly liked the explanation from Inca, that cats like to pretend they care little about their human owners, but deep down cats have very soft hearts. I found this statement quite true about most cats I have met.

The story is set in South Korea, and the author has included some wonderful information about this destination. Traditional wooden Korean houses are described, and beautiful cherry blossom trees. It includes the Korean Demilitarized zone as the location of the patisserie competition. This location is chosen as a peace-building effort between North and South Korea, this inclusion is an excellent opportunity for children to be educated about Korean politics in a simple way. 

I liked the positive messages included in this book. There is a focus on the importance of teamwork, kindness and acceptance and how these attributes help a person succeed in life. The author encourages children to love and respect animals and also writes about exotic destinations. The book comprises lessons about diversity and culture, which is very important for children growing up in a multi-cultural world.

The storyline is great; it is heartwarming and has elements of anticipation and suspense, which is fantastic to keep a child engaged with the book. It is a great novel to read with a small child and could be read independently from around the age of eight years and above. I didn’t find any spelling or grammar errors, so it seems like the book has been exceptionally well-edited. There’s nothing I disliked about the book, so I rate it 4 out of 4 stars. It doesn’t include any profanity or sexual themes, so it is perfect for a child. Although it is part of a series of books, it can be read as a stand-alone novel. I’m sure once a child reads this story, they will be keen to enjoy the complete series, embracing every Inca adventure. 

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Cat Detectives in the Korean Peninsula
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