Review by Dentarthurdent -- Serendipity Mystery: Diary o...

Dentarthurdent · Post by **Dentarthurdent** » 29 Sep 2020, 07:24

[Following is a volunteer review of "Serendipity Mystery: Diary of a Snoopy Cat" by R.F. Kristi.]

3 out of 4 stars

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On holiday with her family in sunny Sri Lanka from grey London, Inca is one happy kitty. She, her two kitten siblings, and one hamster sister pass the time lounging around at the beach and befriending exotic animals like Meena the elephant calf and Rani the baby turtle. Just when she thought the vacation couldn't get any better, a mystery falls right on her lap, begging to be solved. When Missy, Inca's human mom, informs her that a beautiful, priceless dagger has been stolen from the museum, Inca is over the moon and takes it upon herself to solve the mystery. It definitely helps that Solo, Missy's best friend and a world-class detective, and his dog are on the case.

I loved that the book had many different animal characters, including benevolent elephants, cheeky monkeys, svelte leopards, and sly serpents. This was the main reason I found Serendipity Mystery: Diary of a Snoopy Cat to be a fantastic children's book. Additionally, Inca and her siblings have very colourful and different personalities which made the book a joy to read.

R. F. Kristi made a point of mentioning several tourist destinations that highlight the allure of Sri Lanka and I thought this was lovely and informative. I still wish it was done more passionately in order to enthuse and enchant the reader. As it was, the description seemed like something you'd read on a hotel flier. Moreover, I found myself wishing that there were more characters native to Sri Lanka aside from the villains of the tale.

I rate Serendipity Mystery: Diary of a Snoopy Cat 3 out of 4 stars. I think it's perfect for kids between four and eight years old in many respects, but in addition to the problem I had with the lack of local representation, I had one more issue. While Inca is the main character and it is understandable that the ultimate hero role lands on her, I found it a little odd how little a role the other characters played in solving the mystery. It was a bit conspicuous too that Inca had all the adventures while the other characters simply got to share in a few of these. There were two detectives on the case and neither actually offered any fruitful suggestions, with one going so far as to make inferences that were quite off the mark. I felt that this might make young readers who relate to Inca's character think they're right all the time, hence fail to value the input of others.

On the other hand, such a captivating story, in addition to the vibrant, expressive illustrations included, deserved more than two stars. Furthermore, the work has extremely few errors. While kids nine years old and above may be too old for this story, younger ones will be captivated as they see the remarkable coincidences that make this mystery serendipitous.

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Serendipity Mystery: Diary of a Snoopy Cat
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Sou Hi · Post by **Sou Hi** » 30 Sep 2020, 08:20

Wow, thanks for your perceptive review. I don't fancy books that heavily favor only the protagonist either, especially books for children. It would be a bad example if the kids place too much expectation on just one person, while others are there just for show or do insignificant things. What children need to learn is the power of unity and cooperation.

Tayejim1 · Post by **Tayejim1** » 01 Oct 2020, 05:37

Seems to be a good choice for kids. Thanks for taking the time to write a concise review.

Damis Seres Rodriguez · Post by **Damis Seres Rodriguez** » 10 Oct 2020, 19:44

Oh I really loved this book. Great review!

Lasty Kondijo · Post by **Lasty Kondijo** » 30 Nov 2021, 03:23

Wow very entertaining review it's a must read for me some day, thank you for that.

KafeliKe · Post by **KafeliKe** » 31 May 2022, 01:38

I love the way you wrote this review in excellent way. I applaud you for your skillfull writing. At times I wish to reduce my age so that I enjoy reading some books like this one but isn't possible. I like the appealing cover of this book as well. Thanks for this overview.

KafeliKe · Post by **KafeliKe** » 31 May 2022, 01:38

I love the way you wrote this review in excellent way. I applaud you for your skillfull writing. At times I wish to reduce my age so that I enjoy reading some books like this one but isn't possible. I like the appealing cover of this book as well. Thanks for this overview.