Agent Lion and the Case of the Missing Party

by Jacky Davis, David Soman (Illustrator), David Soman

Overview

From New York Times bestselling Ladybug Girl creators David Soman and Jacky Davis comes the second hilarious Agent Lion picture book!

“Accessible text and detailed art combine to create a silly, merry frolic. Pure entertainment.” —Kirkus

“Agent Lion may be clueless but he knows how to have a good time, in this easy reader mystery that will have children laughing out loud.”—School Library Journal

Agent Lion is back, and it’s PARTY TIME!

Petunia’s birthday is today, and she’s got everything a birthday girl needs: An excited smile. The perfect bow. A big party

Wait . . . where is the party?! It was just here a second ago! The balloons, streamers, and guests are all gone!! In a mad dash to find it, Petunia calls the best detective in town, Agent Lion. He runs through the halls, follows clues, and even takes a quick swim—but will Agent Lion find Petunia’s celebration in time?

In an upside-down mystery filled with laugh-out-loud moments, twists and turns, and more zany animals than one can count, David Soman and Jacky Davis have once again crafted the perfect picture book for curious minds who enjoy a good detective tale.

Agent Lion is sure not only to make readers giggle but to prove that anything is possible with a bit of determination and wit, and a few jelly doughnut breaks.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780062869180
Publisher:	HarperCollins
Publication date:	01/05/2021
Pages:	40
Product dimensions:	10.00(w) x 10.00(h) x 0.25(d)
Age Range:	4 - 8 Years

About the Author

Jacky Davis, along with her husband, David Soman, is the creator of the bestselling Ladybug Girl series as well as Agent Lion, a picture book about a silly but determined detective. The author lives with her family in New York’s Hudson Valley. You can visit her at blackpolka.com.

David Soman has illustrated many beautiful picture books, including The Impossible Mountain and the New York Times bestselling Ladybug Girl series, which he cocreated with his wife, Jacky Davis. He is an instructor at the School of Visual Arts in New York City and lives with his family in Upstate New York.

David Soman has illustrated many beautiful picture books, including The Impossible Mountain and the New York Times bestselling Ladybug Girl series, which he cocreated with his wife, Jacky Davis. He is an instructor at the School of Visual Arts in New York City and lives with his family in Upstate New York.

Editorial Reviews

"The bumbling and lovable detective is summoned by Petunia Skunk to solve a ridiculous mystery. From the start, accessible text and detailed art combine to create a silly, merry frolic…Pure entertainment." — Kirkus Reviews

“Agent Lion may be clueless but he knows how to have a good time, in this easy reader mystery that will have children laughing out loud.” — School Library Journal

From the Publisher

02/01/2021

K-Gr 4—In the second installment of the "Agent Lion" series, the bumbling Agent Lion assists Petunia Skunk in a search of a festive party, which has been abruptly abandoned at the very chic Hotel Du Lox. As in the original, the trench coat and fedora—adorned Agent Lion proves to be quite inept, as he ignores clues and becomes easily distracted by his sweet tooth. Petunia, sporting a pink bow, yellow jumper, and knee socks, keeps him on track. After a few red herrings (their intrusion into an ostrich family reunion is particularly memorable) they discover that the hotel manager, a dignified koala, had simply moved the party to another room. Petunia and Agent Lion both enjoy their quest, relishing the detours such as a quick dip in the pool and an upside-down thinking session. Text and art work expertly together. The simple statements and contrasting images create much of the easy humor. Pen, ink, and watercolor illustrations delightfully depict posh anthropomorphized hotel guests, ornate decorations, and mayhem in full spreads mixed with paneled pages of action and movement. VERDICT Agent Lion may be clueless but he knows how to have a good time, in this easy reader mystery that will have children laughing out loud.—Clara Hendricks, Cambridge P.L., MA

School Library Journal

2020-09-29
The bumbling and lovable detective is summoned by Petunia Skunk to solve a ridiculous mystery.

From the start, accessible text and detailed art combine to create a silly, merry frolic. The leonine protagonist, whose actions and behaviors are entirely anthropomorphic, is clad in quasi-traditional spy clothes: fedora and trench coat—both turquoise-colored. A single sentence opens the story: “Agent Lion was hard at work.” The double-page spread shows him flying a red kite across a bucolic scene with blue skies, green grass, and picnickers. After his secret radio sends him to upscale Hotel Du Lox, Agent Lion foists his kite upon the concierge and follows Petunia to the scene of the crime: a large room devoid of its earlier party decorations and treats. Delightful art—often in split frames on a page—complements a text in which Petunia strives for, and finds, clues while Agent Lion’s comical blunders include misinterpreting evidence, falling into a custodian’s mop bin, and being distracted by the hotel’s considerable amenities. Still, he borders on pomposity. There is a refreshing lack of rancor, however, even from accused suspects. Illustrated animals are clever human parodies—even including the hotel’s framed artwork. Mrs. Walrus, well-appointed, smartly dressed, and enormous, is especially funny. The case’s solution will have been evident to observant readers from the start, but that would have spoiled all the fun, as Mrs. Walrus points out. (This book was reviewed digitally with 10-by-20-inch double-page spreads viewed at 44% of actual size.)

Pure entertainment. (Picture book. 4-8)

Kirkus Reviews