Review by Miercoles -- Serendipity Mystery: Diary of a S...

[Miercoles]

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

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4 out of 4 stars

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Serendipity Mystery: Diary of a Snoopy Cat continues the adventures of Inca, the cat, and her team of animal detectives as they journey to Sri Lanka with Mom on holiday. In this story, while enjoying the warm sunshine and ice cream of Sri Lanka, Inca discovers that an antique sword has been stolen from the main museum in the capital Colombo. Their neighbour from London, Solo, is invited to investigate the matter, and he arrives with his dog, Terrance, who is also a member of Inca’s team of detectives. Together with the help of some animal friends that they meet in Sri Lanka, they solve the case and catch the culprits.

I love the themes of friendship, co-operation, care and selflessness which are intertwined in this story. Inca, her sister Cara, brother Fromage and their hamster Charlotte, make friends with the animals that they meet in Sri Lanka, and it is through their team effort that they are able to solve the case. We see Inca’s concern for her brother when she thought he was lost, delving into the forest at night to find him. Her emotional maturity is shown when she is concerned about having Rani the turtle as lookout for the group as she thought she might be too slow, but not wanting to hurt Rani’s feelings, she did not say anything. These are wonderful traits to inculcate in children, and can be emphasized by parents who read the story to their children.

The book has lots of humour, and some suspenseful scenes which are sure to keep the reader enthralled. It is written as a diary by Inca, with details provided on what occurs every morning and evening of the trip. This makes it easy for a child to follow, and for a parent to read a bit each night to a child to captivate their interest. The book is beautifully illustrated, and can inspire the creativity of children to draw the animals, to dress up as the various characters, or to come up with their own way of retrieving the missing sword. I can also imagine a parent getting out the atlas (or Google) to show a child where Sri Lanka is located, and learning some more about it, its culture and the UNESCO Heritage sites found there.

The Serendipity Mystery is the seventh in The Inca Book Series of children’s novels by R.F. Kristi but can easily be read as a stand-alone tale. The author includes Inca’s family tree and information on each member of the Inca & Company detective agency in the prologue so that you are not confused by the characters. Inca often mentions the other animals who are part of the agency, but are not in Sri Lanka: this encourages the reader to get the other books in the series.

This children’s book is beautifully illustrated and has been professionally edited with no errors found. It is a well-rounded tale which includes adventure, emotions, friends and fun. It is suitable for children, parents and teachers, and would make a great addition to a reading club or adaptation for a drama production. It easily deserves the rating of 4 out of 4 stars.

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Serendipity Mystery: Diary of a Snoopy Cat
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