Published by First Second

Summary:  Alligators Mango and Brash find themselves investigating multiple cases: first up is the mysterious disappearance of Chef Gustavo.  The two don fake mustaches, then head for the restaurant where Gustavo worked.  When the oversized cake they bake there shows up after a huge explosion in a science lab, it seems as though an even more nefarious plot is afoot.  It’s up to these two reptilian detectives to crack a series of cases, catch the villains, and get the good chef back to his bakery where he belongs.  Includes instructions for drawing Mango, Brash, and C-ORB.  First in a series, book 2, Take the Plunge is also available.  208 pages; grades 2-5.

Pros:  The whole time I was reading this, I kept envisioning 8-year-old kids coming up to me to share some goofball passage that would be totally cracking them up.  I mustache you to consider this guaranteed crowd-pleaser for your own library.

Cons:  Since I’m not eight, this was just a bit too goofball for me.  I prefer Green’s Kitten Construction Company and Hippopotameister.

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