Review by shravsi -- Cat Detectives in the Korean Peninsula

[shravsi]

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

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4 out of 4 stars

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Cat Detectives in the Korean Peninsula is the eighth book in The Inca Cat Detective Series written by R.F. Kristi. This time, Inca & Company must help their human companions in the Korean peninsula. This book is a fun, educational book for kids filled with colorful illustrations and animal love.

After their recent return from Sri Lanka, Inca & company get a chance to go to South Korea because of Missy. Our queen of kitties, Inca, the Siberian cat detective, must use her skills, again, to help her human companions so that they won’t get into trouble. Along with Terrance, Cara, and other detective friends, she has to unite a family divided by the border between South Korea and North Korea. They also must protect Missy’s reputation from the evil plans of chef Enzo. Read the book to enjoy this adventure.

This particular book, although the eighth book in a series, can be read on its own. I fell in love so much with Inca & Company that I went ahead and started reading all the books from this series. They are so much fun to read, even for adults. Kristi has captured different quirks of cats and dogs astutely: Terrance is introduced as a detective dog owned by Solo, the famous detective, while his cat Monk is his equal companion. I enjoyed Kristi’s cheekiness through Inca in telling, cats own their humans.

Inca in the front cover with her beautiful dress and a magnifying glass can grab eyes in a bookstore. I enjoyed illustrations by Jorge Valle. The pictures were kid-friendly with colors and animals, but they were detail-oriented too, e.g., correct drawing of the South Korean flag in an illustration.

Now coming to the educational values, this book is a treasure box. Kids can learn the difference between cats and dogs. They can understand different breeds of animals and their characteristics. This book is an easy way to introduce kids to new countries and their unique people. In this book, South Korea is portrayed as a country that is proud of its cleanliness and orderliness. And its people as extremely polite humans. The mention of cherry blossoms and wooden houses can give a generic image to kids about South Korea. The separation between North and South Korea is told in a humane and uncomplicated language so the kids would have a general political knowledge too. Though the description might feel stereotypical, e.g., describing Bo-Mi as a Korean cat with oriental eyes, I didn’t mind the conventional information. Some information about different countries is better than kids growing up without any information at all.

This book is a perfect kid’s book that ticks all the boxes for a parent: colorful pictures, simple language, no bad words, fun story, good moral, and educational values. I will rate this book 4 out of 4 stars. I didn’t find any huge mistakes or words and topics unsuitable for kids. You can read this to your kids, or big kids can read on their own to go on a worldwide adventure. Adults are welcome too, to read: this could be a fun break from routine. If you can find or afford, I would urge you to get the physical book for the kids for its colorful illustrations.

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Cat Detectives in the Korean Peninsula
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