Review of Cat Detectives in the Korean Peninsula
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Review of Cat Detectives in the Korean Peninsula
Cat Detectives in the Korean Peninsula by R.F. Kristi is the eighth book in the Inca Book Series. Missy is Inca's mom. She has a friend called Solo, a world-famous detective. Solo has a dog, Terrance, renowned for his detective prowess. Inca, a Siberian cat, is the main character. Inca runs a cat detective agency called Inca & Company which Terrance is a member. Inca's mom, Missy, had just been selected to participate as a judge in a French patisserie competition, a peace-building initiative in the Korean peninsula organized to improve the relationship between North and South Korea. Missy is one of the world’s best chefs. Thus, it was no surprise that they selected her for the French patisserie competition hosted by Le Cordon Bleu. Missy had been working on a new cheese and hoped to present it to the world at the competition. A special event was designed to that effect.
Soon, Inca, Missy, and the rest of the family were preparing for the new adventure. Fromage, Cara, and Charlotte were just as excited about the trip as Inca. Solo opted to join in the trip - with Terrance - as an opportunity to add to his collection of Korean paintings. Missy’s new cheese was the cynosure of all eyes, but Enzo, a longtime local competitor of Missy’s cheese business was displeased with the attention she was getting. Missy encountered Enzo on the aeroplane to Korea, who was up to some tricks that Inca, her siblings, and friends successfully foiled. How did they do that? You have to read this book to know. Beyond the encounter with Enzo, the trip opens up an intriguing adventure that led to the formation of soulful friendships and the reunion of loved ones.
I love Kristi's commitment to enlightening readers about the animals featured in her series. In this book, a good part was dedicated to explaining some characteristics of the Siberian cat variety. Kristi manages to imbue each character with its unique personality, shown by how it interacts with the others. For example, Bo-Mi was described as a strong, fierce cat who was inseparable from her owner, Ji, despite her bond with Baram and Ye-Jun. Inca is the confident, intelligent, and socially experienced cat whose leadership the other cats relied on; Cara exemplified the meticulous, fashion-conscious, and emotionally developed cat; Fromage, on the other hand, is excitable, carefree, and child-like. This personification of the non-human characters gave a human soul to them, suggesting that pets are aware of our social mechanisms and emotions. The book also suggested that we have very similar social dynamics, or that they are capable of adopting ours. Inca & Company successfully influenced the outcome of events that concerned their “humanoid” owners, saving them the potential risk involved in some processes. The subtlety with which they achieved it was alluring. In reuniting Bo-Mi with Baram and influencing Ji's planned escape, I love how Solo realized that the pet friends were instrumental to that favourable outcome. The themes of loyalty, friendship, and unity were emphasized and promoted.
I found no negatives in the book. I loved it through and through. However, I should note that I would have preferred that the author be consistent in naming Bo-Mi. Sometimes Bo-Ming was used instead, which almost created confusion.
There was no error in the book. Thus, I think it was professionally edited. I rate this book 4 out of 4 stars because it is beautifully written and exceptionally well-edited. The illustrations which described the characters and some scenes were lovely and appealed to the imagination.
I recommend this book to children between the ages of 3 and 9. I think it will help children develop new vocabulary and aid their imagination and creative abilities.
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Cat Detectives in the Korean Peninsula
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