The Case of the Fiendish Flapjack Flop (Humpty Dumpty Jr., Hard Boiled Detective) [Paperback]

Nate Evans (Author), Paul Hindman (Author), Vince Evans (Illustrator)

Book Description

Publication Date: October 1, 2008 | Age Level: 7 and up | Grade Level: 2 and up

Humpty Dumpty Jr. has always gotten the bad guy. Always. Except once, when the case got too personal. You know that case. The one about his Dad...

And now, a frantic call for help tells him that someone is making it personal again. "Johnny" Cakes, a two-bit pancake punk, has escaped from jail. And Patty, of the famous (and delicious) Pat-A-Cake Bakery, has disappeared. Could "Johnny" Cakes be behind it? Whoever kidnapped Patty better watch out; Humpty is no soft-cooked Egg. He is 100% Hardboiled.

From the (fairly) scrambled minds of three acclaimed children's writers and illustrators comes a hilarious new detective who always cracks the case. Set on the grimy streets of New Yolk City, where the Queen of Hearts lives in Queens (where else?), the adventures of Humpty Dumpty Jr. are sure to delight early and chapter-book readers alike. This is the start of a very funny, totally action-packed new series no one will want to miss!

"Once Upon a Crime:
There was a detective. Me.

Humpty Dumpty Jr., Hardboiled Detective. I'm a good egg who always cracks the case. One morning, sitting at my desk, I watched the sun rise out my grimy window. Dawn light played peek-a-boo through the tall skyscrapers of the gritty city.

My city.
New Yolk City."

(20081001)

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

Grade 3–5—A pun-filled mystery that places nursery-rhyme characters, both familiar and lesser known, into a modern New York City setting. Humpty Dumpty, Jr., is called on to solve the mystery of the disappearance of Patty Cake from her bakery. The story bounces a bit in the beginning and clues feel kind of random. Also, characters are given topical treatment; they lack the depth of those in better-developed chapter books. The story becomes more engaging and fluid toward the end. A showdown in an amusement park with Humpty Dumpty, Jr., Gangster "Johnny" Cakes, and a three-headed cake dragon will hold readers' attention. Illustrations on almost every spread give the story a comic-book feel that should appeal to reluctant readers. Closer to Kirk Scroggs's "Wiley & Grampa's Creature Features" series (Little, Brown) than Michael Buckley's "Sisters Grimm" books (Abrams), this is an additional purchase.—Kelly Roth, Bartow County Public Library, Cartersville, GA
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

From Booklist

Dressed in a loose-fitting tie and battered overcoat, Humpty Dumpty Jr. is a good egg who always cracks the case in New Yolk City. The puns and allusions come at a rapid clip to open this junior take on the detective genre, before it settles into a clever little whodunit. Dumpty’s friend Patty Cake goes missing from her bakery on the same day that his arch-nemesis, the hardened flapjack criminal Johnny Cakes, escapes from prison. Dumpty reluctantly takes on a partner—a street kid named Rat—and the two zoom about the city chasing clues and red herrings in equal measure. Dumpty narrates the story in a tough-guy staccato prose that will delight readers new to the genre, but underneath his hard shell lies the reluctantly warm heart that makes such detectives good guys in the end. A cast of offbeat, nursery rhyme–esque characters, including the Knave of Hearts and Peppermint Pete, round out the tale, as well as zany illustrations that showcase Dumpty’s gruff persona and the squalid streets of the city he calls home. Grades 3-5. --Ian Chipman

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Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 7 and up
  
• Paperback: 120 pages
• Publisher: Sourcebooks Jabberwocky (October 1, 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1402212453
• ISBN-13: 978-1402212451
• Product Dimensions: 7.4 x 5.3 x 0.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (12 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #952,930 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Nate Evans has illustrated over 35 kids' books, and written a few more. The latest of these, co-authored with Laura Numeroff, are "Ponyella," and "The Jellybeans and the Big Camp Kickoff," the sequel to "The Jellybeans and the Big Dance." "Ponyella" and two "Jellybeans" books appeared on the New York Times Bestseller list. For more information please visit: www.NateEvans.com

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars EXCELLENT!!, October 8, 2008

By 

A. Pohren (IA United States) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: The Case of the Fiendish Flapjack Flop (Humpty Dumpty Jr., Hard Boiled Detective) (Paperback)

This book not only makes playing with your food OK, but uproariously fun! Humpty Dumpty Jr. is a detective any kid will love - with his smart alic mouth, "down and dirty" ethic and attitude and desire for justice, what's not to love?! Throw in a few "eeeww" discriptions such as "It's face was rotting wart-flesh. Foul green snot oozed over cracked teeth" and clever rhymes such as "Fe! Fi! Fo! Fegg!" roared the ogre, "I smell the blood of a rotten egg! Be he live, or be he dead, I'll grind his shell to make my bread!" and you have a book sure to engross the most picky of reader.

The Case of the Fiendish Flapjack Flop, takes such nursery rhyme characters as Patty Cake, Humpty Dumpty, the Queen of Hearts, the Knave of Hearts and many others and lends it own very unique twist. I found this to be of utmost cleverness and enjoyable fun.

In this first case, Humpty Dumpty Jr. discovers the beloved Patty Cake missing and her bakery Pat-A-Cake Bakery in ruins. With the help of a street kid named Rat and an egg beater magic wand, Humpty takes the search through the mean streets of New Yolk. Will he be able to crack the case or will the case crack him first? The only way to find out is to grab up a copy of The Case of the Fiendish Flapjack Flop as quickly as you can and enter the world of fiendish foods.

I simply cannot recommend this story enough. It is great fun, full of laughs and a sure way to get any child wrapped in the world of reading. I am very anxious to read the next in the series The Mystery of Merlin and the Gruesome Ghost. So be on the lookout for my review on it shortly!

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great New Chapter Book Series for Young Readers Is Hatched!, October 12, 2008

By 

Mel Odom (Moore, OK USA) - See all my reviews
(TOP 500 REVIEWER)    (VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Case of the Fiendish Flapjack Flop (Humpty Dumpty Jr., Hard Boiled Detective) (Paperback)

When I saw the title of the newest children's series that I've recently come across, I couldn't believe it. With all the new fantasy series and kids' books hitting the shelves in increasing numbers every day, I considered myself jaded. I honestly didn't believe I'd ever find anything new or fresh again.

Then I saw the improbable character featured in Sourcebooks' latest offering: HUMPTY DUMPTY, Jr.: HARDBOILED DETECTIVE. Yep, you guessed it. He's an egg.

But HD, Jr. isn't just any egg. He's a trench coat wearing tough private eye with a knack for solving crimes and tracking down bad guys in New Yolk City.

The creative team (Nate Evans, Paul Hindman, and Vince Evans) have outdone themselves with this series in writing and art. The writing is nice and tight, filled with wordplay and puns that the targeted audience (7 and up) will love. Throughout the book, the art serves to draw reader interest while enhancing the story with comical notes and sight gags.

Just as in any good private eye story, HD, Jr. has a sidekick (Rat, a young street kid he joins up with in THE CASE OF THE FIENDISH FLAPJACK FLOP and an antagonistic police detective, Lieutenant Rosebriar (an eyepatch-wearing rhinoceros with an attitude). The short chapters fly by, chockfull of witty dialogue that kids will love.

In his first case, HD, Jr. receives a panicked phonecall for help. Caller ID shows the call came from Pat-A-Cake Bakery. Sprinting into action, HD, Jr. grabs his skateboard and his semi-trust magic wand (an eggbeater with mystical properties).

Once at the Pat-A-Cake Bakery, HD, Jr. discovers evidence of foul play and clues. It's obvious that Patty Cake has been abducted. And the chase is on.

As I turned pages, I quickly became ten years old again. I fell in love with HD, Jr.'s scrambled world and his tough guy patter. I loved the way the book proceeds just like a "real" private eye movie would. Our fearless hero follows the trail, discovers possible villains, and gets embroiled between the cops and the bad guys. Not only that, but so much of the fairy tale world every kids becomes acquainted with while growing up get splashed onto every page.

The art is rich and vibrant at times, but drawn so simply that many young readers might find themselves encouraged to pick up a pencil and try their hands at drawing the characters. The illustrations add a depth to the prose story that's invaluable for beginning readers.

Fans of Dav Pilkey's Captain Underpants series and Kirk Scroggs's Wiley and Grampa's Creature Features will love this series because it feels familiar yet will take them into a new and familiar world. The first two books in the Humpty Dumpty, Jr: Hardboiled Detective just hit the bookshelves on October 1. The third book won't be out until May '09, but I'm already looking forward to it!

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Mom wants to read it too!, March 4, 2009

By 

readermom - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Case of the Fiendish Flapjack Flop (Humpty Dumpty Jr., Hard Boiled Detective) (Paperback)

My 10 year old and 7 year old have both read the two Humpty Dumpty detective books. They absoulutely loved them! We have one copy of each and they were literally sharing the first book back and forth and whichever one finished first started on the second one. Needless to say I am ready to read both of them if I can get them away from my kids. My 7 year old especially liked the humor in the two books. It was right up his alley! He loved all the egg jokes and the illustrations of course. He has even quoted the first book to me several times! His favorite line in the book is, "A messy desk is the sign of a busy egg." This is of course because my son has a messy desk! After he read the first one he took it to school for his teacher to read aloud to the class. It was a big hit! Get these books, they are great! We are ready for #3 to be out now!