Review by VernaVi -- Cat Detectives in the Korean Peninsula

Verna Coy · Post by **Verna Coy** » 31 Mar 2019, 06:22

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

4 out of 4 stars

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Cat Detectives In The Korean Peninsula by R.F. Kristi is the eighth book in The Inca Cat detective series and well worth the read! It is a story told by Inca, a very beautiful and intelligent cat with a large family to keep track of. The adventures in this story, as told by Inca, take the reader on a long journey to South Korea for an international food competition.

There are lots of international chefs in the competition and it is very suspenseful getting the cheese there safely. Inca and the other animals have to be on their guard, especially in the airport, to make sure the special cheese doesn’t get stolen!

When they arrive in South Korea, they make new some friends and visit some great locations. The animals pay attention to what the humans talk about and keep close tabs on what’s going on. One night, they embark on a dangerous mission to help their new friends. Will they be able to succeed? What will happen if they don’t?

This is a wonderfully written children’s book. It is a well- crafted story which includes adventure as well as descriptions of faraway places that children love to learn about. The cherry blossoms in Korea were described beautifully. I could picture the trees lining the streets.

The cover of this book is perfect for the story. A very cute cat in bright colors that will appeal to children. The magnifying glass is a nice touch since the book is part of a detective series. The green grass is written into the backgrounds of the scenes in the book and give it an outdoor feel that kids will love.

I liked the illustration of the family tree at the beginning of the book. It teaches kids in a simple way about family trees while at the same time acquainting them with the main characters in the story. All of the illustrations in the book are so colorful and really add to the appeal of this book, making it one that a very young child can enjoy as well as the older ones who can already read.

The scenes and plot of the book are all believable, and it is great how R.F. Kristi explained the situation between North Korea and South Korea by weaving the lives of the characters into that dramatic area of the world. It gives readers an understanding of how it would be to live there. The cheese contest including chefs from both North and South Korea as a peace-building effort was a great way to add to the international flavor of this book by using current situations in our world today to influence events within the storyline.

This book will be very appropriate for children as young as 3 years of age as well as appealing to readers as old as 10 or 12. Any child who enjoys an adventure will enjoy this book. Especially if that child loves animals. This book focuses on the personality and character of animals and the fact that it is told from the perspective of the animals in the story makes it even more fun. I think this book will appeal the most to people who really like animals.

There are cute moments in the story, like when Inca slides and slithers on the smooth, shiny floor of the airport, which really brings the book to life. This is exactly the kind of thing that a cat or even a child would want to do!

The descriptions of the Korean countryside are beautifully written, and make the reader feel as if they are there. I couldn’t find anything not to like about this book. It is well written, and seems to be professionally edited, although I did find a few errors.

I’m giving this book a rating of 4 out of 4 stars. I did not feel that the few errors warranted a loss of points. I would give it a 4.5 rating if it were possible because of the thought that went into building a story for kids around the dramatic situation of North and South Korea. That is what I liked the most about this book. I look forward to reading more from this author and recommend this book as a good read. Great job!

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Cat Detectives in the Korean Peninsula
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