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curiouslibrarian's review
4.0
I adore the idea of a hard-boiled detective novel for the early-chapter book set! And this book doesn't disappoint. It has all the grittiness of the genre, coupled with wacky plot elements, humorous references to nursery rhymes and fairy tales, and great art. The mystery hangs together well too, which just makes this book a great delight.
Unlike many books at this level, the allusions to outside references are mostly on a level that the intended audience can get. Although there are certainly a couple for adults snuck in where it won't hurt the plot (I saw a the Doctor Who hand in a corner of one of the pictures).
There is art on almost every page (I was reading and advanced copy, so I don't know if it's color or B&W), which is great for those kids who have the ability to read harder chapter books, but aren't ready to abandon pictures. The art had me giggling more often than not.
I would highly recommend this book to kids who like mysteries, particularly detective novels, and silly stories. Probably the Geronimo Stilton crowd. Best for individual reading in grades 2-3, but also good for younger kids (K-1) out loud or with help.
Unlike many books at this level, the allusions to outside references are mostly on a level that the intended audience can get. Although there are certainly a couple for adults snuck in where it won't hurt the plot (I saw a the Doctor Who hand in a corner of one of the pictures).
There is art on almost every page (I was reading and advanced copy, so I don't know if it's color or B&W), which is great for those kids who have the ability to read harder chapter books, but aren't ready to abandon pictures. The art had me giggling more often than not.
I would highly recommend this book to kids who like mysteries, particularly detective novels, and silly stories. Probably the Geronimo Stilton crowd. Best for individual reading in grades 2-3, but also good for younger kids (K-1) out loud or with help.
sunsoar25's review
4.0
Humpty Dumpty Jr. is the best hard-boiled egg for the case. He always catches the bad guy...except once when things got too personal with his dad. Now, a frantic call for help tells him that someone is making it personal again. And this time, Humpty better watch out before he gets scrambled.
I stumbled upon this awesome chapter-book series for young readers at my local Goodwill store. Needless to say, I fell in love with this pun-tastic fairy tale noir mystery. I've always enjoyed a good hard-boiled crime mystery and I'm a sucker for a good fairy tale. I wasn't sure if it would work, but it turns out it's a pretty great combination of both worlds. I could easily hear all of the characters presented in these pages speaking inside my head and see them in gritty black and white.
I highly recommend this "Egg-cellent! Egg-citing! [and] Egg-splosive!" chapter book! If you have an interest in film noir, hard-boiled crime fiction, or fairy tales, you should not miss Humpty Dumpty Jr's first case, The Case of the Fiendish Flapjack Flop!
I stumbled upon this awesome chapter-book series for young readers at my local Goodwill store. Needless to say, I fell in love with this pun-tastic fairy tale noir mystery. I've always enjoyed a good hard-boiled crime mystery and I'm a sucker for a good fairy tale. I wasn't sure if it would work, but it turns out it's a pretty great combination of both worlds. I could easily hear all of the characters presented in these pages speaking inside my head and see them in gritty black and white.
I highly recommend this "Egg-cellent! Egg-citing! [and] Egg-splosive!" chapter book! If you have an interest in film noir, hard-boiled crime fiction, or fairy tales, you should not miss Humpty Dumpty Jr's first case, The Case of the Fiendish Flapjack Flop!
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