The Mud Flat Mystery

by James Stevenson, James Stevenson (Illustrator)

Overview

What's inside the box?

It's a quiet morning in Mud Flat when Hobart the deliveryman delivers a large, mysterious package to Duncan's porch. With Duncan away on vacation, the neighborhood is wild with curiosity. What could be inside? is it food? Should they guard it? Can the residents of Mud Flat wait for Duncan to get home and open the box, or will their curiosity get the best of them?

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780062034137
Publisher:	HarperCollins
Publication date:	08/02/2011
Sold by:	HARPERCOLLINS
Format:	eBook
Pages:	64
Lexile:	320L (what's this?)
File size:	9 MB
Age Range:	6 - 10 Years

About the Author

James Stevenson is an op-ed contributor to the New York Times. His popular column, "Lost and Found New York," has appeared regularly in the newspaper since 2003. He was on the staff of The New Yorker for more than three decades; his work includes 2,000 cartoons and 80 covers, as well as reporting and fiction. He is also the author and illustrator of over 100 children's books. He lives in Connecticut.

Editorial Reviews

In 12 accessible chapters, brimming with Stevenson's signature pen-and-inks, the inhabitants of Mud Flat (first introduced in The Mud Flat Olympics) are determined to find out what's inside a mysterious package sitting on Duncan's porch. Ages 7-10. (Feb.)

Publishers Weekly

PreS-Gr 2When a package is delivered to an absent denizen of Mud Flat, his neighbors cannot contain their curiosity. In the course of their investigations, the box bursts open and a bicycle is revealed. Fortunately, the owner returns in time to claim his property before disaster strikes. The animal characters, drawn in watercolor and ink, have wonderfully expressive faces. The illustrations perfectly complement this lighthearted exploration of overwhelming curiositya trait young listeners will identify with. Written in 12 short chapters, the story will be great for one-on-one sharing. A welcome companion to Mud Flat Olympics (1994) and Heat Wave at Mud Flat (1997, both Greenwillow).Lisa Smith, Lindenhurst Memorial Library, NY

School Library Journal

The very slightest of mysteries (what's in the big box on Duncan's porch?) is parlayed into 12 short, delightful chapters with a very large cast of animal characters in this funny, easy-to- read addition to the Mud Flat canon (The Mud Flat Olympics, 1994, etc.). Overcome by curiosity and unable to wait until Duncan comes home to find out what's in the box, his neighbors try unsuccessfully to spy out the contents (a new bicycle) and get themselves into trouble. In just a few lines of dialogue and small ink-and-watercolor illustrations, Stevenson establishes the characters' foibles. His understated humor is right on target for the age group, and while many books in this format are deadly to read aloud, this one is a blast.

Kirkus Reviews