When Gus and Gertie arrive on Holiday Island, they find a haven of seagoing scallywags, riffraff, and ruffians. It isn't long before Gertie's precious deep-sea pearl is stolen--but who's to blame? The culprit is revealed by clues cleverly hidden in Gus's hastily taken snapshots. Can readers crack the case before it's too late?Joan Lowery Nixon's mysterious high jinks and Diane deGroat's rowdy cast of characters create a fast-paced whodunit for newly independent readers.
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Book Description
Editorial Reviews
From Publishers Weekly
Spirited alliteration and humorous illustrations propel this fast-paced beginning-reader whodunit. When Gus and Gertie, a pair of traveling penguins, hop off the ferryboat for their island vacation at the elegant Hotel de View, a sudden rain forces them into the nearby "Otel," Home of the Bad Guys Club. Inside, "rascally rowdies, wretched wharf rats, riffraff, and ruffians shouted and argued, pushed and shoved, and created a horrible hullabaloo." To "show them we're friendly," Gus begins snapping Polaroids of the proceedings. DeGroat's watercolors not only capture the juxtaposition of the conservative couple and the "scummiest swarm of seagoing scallywags," but after the disappearance of Gertie's "beautiful, valuable deep-sea pearl" necklace, her clever renderings of Gus's photos provide a trail to the thief. Although the scallywags ultimately help in the pursuit of the culprit, Gus and Gertie's wholehearted embrace of the bad guys (who after all collaborated in lifting her jewel) is abrupt. Still, one can hardly blame the couple: the Bad Guys look like much more fun than obtuse Gus and Gertie. Ages 6-9. (Sept.)
Copyright 2000 Reed Business Information, Inc.
Copyright 2000 Reed Business Information, Inc.
From School Library Journal
Grade 1-4-In this easy chapter book, Gus and Gertie, two homespun penguins, arrive at Holiday Island ready for their vacation at the elegant Hotel de View. Caught in a sudden deluge, they duck into a dilapidated hotel for shelter. Inside, they find themselves surrounded by a swarm of partying, "scummy seagoing scallywags." The desk clerk notices that Gertie is wearing a beautiful and quite valuable deep-sea pearl, and within minutes her precious necklace is heisted. Luckily, Gus has been snapping photos with his Polaroid. The unhappy victim scrutinizes each picture, but as soon as one scoundrel is sighted with his hands on the pearl, another snatches it away. Eventually, the photos provide the clues that solve the mystery. DeGroat's full-color, sassy illustrations scamper across every page, leading readers on a rollicking romp through this fast-paced mystery. Nixon's use of alliteration ("an agile alligator," "wretched wharf rats," and "rascally rowdies") adds to the fun. Readers will look forward to further humorous adventures starring this likable pair.
Karen Land, Greenport Public School, NY
Copyright 2000 Reed Business Information, Inc.
Karen Land, Greenport Public School, NY
Copyright 2000 Reed Business Information, Inc.
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