The 13th Clue [Hardcover]

Ann Jonas (Author, Illustrator)

Book Description

Age Level: 5 and up | Grade Level: P and up

"Jonas's latest work is an open invitation for young mystery fans. Beginning with a diary entry of a child...the book leads the protagonist (and readers) on a merry chase from the attic to the backyard, across the pond, through the woods and up a hill where a surprise birthday party awaits her....Children will be immediately captivated by the clever clues....A guaranteed-to-please selection that deserves a spot in any collection."--School Library Journal.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Jonas ( Round Trip ) provides several unusual twists and turns in this visually engaging mystery, once again displaying her penchant for unorthodox formats. An ignored birthday girl's disappointed diary entry is interrupted--"That's funny. The light just went on!"--setting into motion a string of clues that require the reader to spin the book into a variety of positions. Inanimate objects (extension cords, mown grass, garments on a clothesline) form letters and words when viewed from a particular angle. No characters appear in this virtually textless book until its surprise ending; but the protagonist's shadow falling across each spread reveals the proper perspective from which to view the clues. Scrambled letters, mirror writing and rebus add to the sleuthing fun. Jonas's large-scale, full-toned watercolors function as both word and image, cleverly couching hints amid the scenery. In this mystery-adventure, the hunt is more enjoyable than the (somewhat predictable) treasure. Ages 4-up.
Copyright 1992 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From School Library Journal

Grade 1-3-- From the large magnifying glass on the front cover to the collage cutouts on the back, Jonas's latest work is an open invitation for young mystery fans. Beginning with a diary entry of a child complaining about her terrible day, the book leads the protagonist (and readers) on a merry chase from the attic to the backyard, across the pond, through the woods and up a hill where a surprise birthday party awaits her. Although the foreshadowing of the surprise in the opening diary entry seems a bit obvious, children will be immediately captivated by the clever clues that form the main part of the text. As she did with animals in The Trek (Greenwillow, 1985) , Jonas has worked the messages inventively into the motif of each scene; in a particularly brilliant stroke, the words of one clue are created by the laundry hanging on the line. To entice readers even further, some hints are written backwards, others upside down, and still others as a rebus. The strong natural tones used in portraying the lush woods, the craggy stone wall, and the mossy pond form a definite contrast to the bright primary colors found in the party scene and in the closing diary entry. It is also interesting to watch the protagonist evolve from a mere hint of a shadow to a full portrait of a young girl as the story progresses. Although the book could be shared with small groups, it will work best one-on-one since some of the clues are rather difficult to decipher from a distance. In any case, it will have wide appeal for would-be detectives who will be inspired to try their hand at designing their own clues, and it should also be an effective choice for reluctant readers. A guaranteed-to-please selection that deserves a spot in any collection.
- Nancy Menaldi-Scanlan, Wheeler School, Providence, RI
Copyright 1992 Reed Business Information, Inc.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 5 and up
  
• Hardcover: 32 pages
• Publisher: Greenwillow Books; 1st edition (October 23, 1992)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0688097421
• ISBN-13: 978-0688097424
• Product Dimensions: 9.6 x 9 x 0.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.6 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,392,842 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great Read-A-Loud, May 8, 2006

By 

John Dyer "Dogbreath" (St. Louis Park, MN United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The 13Th Clue (A Picture Yearling Book) (Paperback)

Except...let your child or student read the book to you. This is one of the best rebus stories that I have come across and use it every year with my students. Can't recommend it enough.

5.0 out of 5 stars Great Clue Book!, March 16, 2009

By 

Jennifer L. Aloi (Burlington, VT USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The 13th Clue (Hardcover)

I have been searching for this book for about six months, and finally found it! I used to read this when I was a little girl, and loved the mystery, and couldn't wait to turn the next page! Great pictures, loaded with color. Fun for any age!

3.0 out of 5 stars Clever, but Confusing, May 10, 2000

By 

Janet Reeves - See all my reviews

This review is from: The 13th Clue (Hardcover)

This book is very clever. As a little girl writes in her diary about a very bad day, the lights in her attic come on, and she finds directions (a clue) to follow. Each page after that has more instructions for the girl to decipher and follow to the happy ending surprise that turns her bad day good. Some of the clues, however, were hidden so well, they were almost too hard to read. The book might be too challenging for young children. With a parent's help, however, children will enjoy the challenge and surprise.