Review by Mwatu -- Cat Detectives in the Korean Peninsula

Mwatu · Post by **Mwatu** » 03 May 2021, 02:24

[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 8th book in the series Diary of a Snoopy Cat, The Inca Cat Detective Series. Missy, Inca’s mum/owner, gets invited to judge a cooking show and present her new cheese to the Korean market. The competition aims to promote peace between South and North Korea and draws participants from both regions. Ye-Jun, the guide, offers to accommodate them to provide the furry members of the family space to roam. Ye-Jun and his sister Ji have not seen each other for a while. Ji is in North Korea with a cat named Bong-Mi, and Ye-Jun lives in South Korea with a dog named Baram. Ye-Jun and Baram miss Ji and Bong-Mi terribly. Solo, Missy's friend and neighbour travelling with them, offers to help get them back from North Korea by smuggling them. Inca feels this would jeopardise the peace efforts behind the competition that Missy is judging. She hatches her plan to reunite the two siblings instead and enlists the help of her furry friends.

I like the story. It is superbly written and engaging. The illustrations were beautifully done and added to the absorption of the material. The author used vivid descriptions throughout the book, making it easy to visualise Ye-Jun’s home or the cherry blossoms close to it. I found it amusing that the author plays to the narrative that cats own humans and not the other way around. I also discovered no errors, and as such, the book was exceptionally edited.

I dislike that the book was not clear on why Ji and Ye-Jun could not reunite. I am unfamiliar with any hostilities between South Korea and North Korea and did not understand why she could not go back home after visiting her relatives in the North. I also felt the picture on page 38 was out of place. It depicted what I later realised to be Ji and her partner at the cooking competition. The topic of discussion on the said page was the Demilitarisation Zone between North and South Korea. The picture was irrelevant to that part of the story.

I rate this book 4 out of 4. The issues I encountered did not take away from my enjoyment of the book. I enjoyed the story, its descriptions and illustrations. While I didn’t find many learning lessons from the book, it serves as a good leisure book.

I recommend this book to children aged eight and above. The language is straightforward, and they are likely to enjoy the well-done story.

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Cat Detectives in the Korean Peninsula
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