Tuesday, July 14, 2009

Jack Russell: Dog Detective: The Mugged Pug


Odgers, Darrel and Sally. 2007. The Mugged Pug. Kane/Miller. 76 pages.

Sarge and I were about to go for our Saturday walk when the terrier-phone rang.
"I'd better get that, Jack," said Sarge. "It might be important."
I disagreed. Nothing is more imporant than Saturday walks, except food.
This is the third book in the Jack Russell: Dog Detective series, a series originally published, by the way, in Australia. Here are my links to the first two books: Dog Den Mystery, The Phantom Mudder. The book stars Jack Russell, a terrier dog detective. Of course, this dog has friends--both human and canine. In this mystery, he is trying to solve the case of "the mugged pug." He has noticed that there have been a string of thefts in the neighborhood. Someone is stealing dog collars. And in some cases this is leading to dogs being put in the pound. Can Jack outwit the bad guy?

Each chapter features "Jack's facts" and "Jack's glossary." These are often cute and charming asides.

Will these books please everyone of every age? Probably not. They're cute books. Especially if you love dogs. But adults might find them a bit too heavy in puns. Using words like pupular instead of popular and the like. But I liked this one just the same.

© Becky Laney of Young Readers

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