Review by Lettura18 -- Serendipity Mystery: Diary of a S...

[Lettura18]

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

---

4 out of 4 stars

---

Share This Review

---

In a nutshell, this is the story of a group of animal friends that help their humans find the stolen goods and discover "who has done it", while they are all on holiday together in Sri Lanka. Led by a talking cat named Inca, who is a professional detective based in London, an enthusiastic turtle, a little hamster and two lovely elephants join forces with a clumsy dog to navigate changes of scenery, puzzling moments and a tiny bit of danger. Together they will solve the mystery and create a long-lasting friendship.

I loved this children’s book and rate it 4 out of 4 stars. It is adventurous and gentle at the same time. I believe it is appropriate for boys and girls from 5 to 9 years of age, as it is written in child friendly English with a few “grown-up” words here and there, to challenge them a little bit and help build their vocabulary. This is the seventh book in the series, which is nice as it gives children the time and space to create a whole imaginary world of “Inca the detective cat”, where they can go back again and again with every new story.

The plot is easy to follow but not necessarily predictable and, especially for a child’s mind, it is mysterious without being scary. I found it very entertaining, with a few witty stunts and comical moments. All the characters are depicted effectively and in an uncomplicated manner, so that it is easy for little readers to understand and feel them immediately. The animal characters in particular are detailed in their personalities and rather articulated: each of them reflects a full persona that contributes to the success of the whole crew; this left me with a sense that the story is well balanced and that it develops in a harmonious way.

The only thing that I found a bit unsatisfying is that the humans, although covering a marginal role in the story, seem to steal the animals’ thunder in the end. To me this felt like the magic was broken, forcing me to snap back to reality in a rude way.

There are fabulous illustrations with vivid colours and gentle outlines; they reflect the storyline and the characters rather well, and offer a pleasant break from the reading and an opportunity to fly “into” the book on the wings of imagination.

This novel portrays friendship and team work in a very positive way and this is very important because these are precious values to teach our children.

******
Serendipity Mystery: Diary of a Snoopy Cat
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon

Like Lettura18's review? Post a comment saying so!