  | Mr. Whiskers and the Shenanigan sisters Author: Van Draanen, Wendelin | |
| Price: $21.88 | ||
Summary:
Streetwise stray dog Mr. Whiskers and sisters Misty and Zelda follow clues through the streets of San Francisco in their search for the siblings' kidnapped father.
| Illustrator: | Catalan, Laura |
Reviews:
Kirkus Reviews (08/15/23)
School Library Journal (10/01/23)
Booklist (09/15/23)
Full Text Reviews:
School Library Journal - 10/01/2023 Gr 3–7—What fun-loving dog doesn't relish solving a mystery? Well, Mr. Whiskers and his owners, Zelda and Misty, are about to get into a caper that just doesn't "smell" right. This story is told from the perspective of a dog who knows when something or someone doesn't add up. When Zelda and Misty's dad is taken away by a strange man, they go on an adventure through the city streets of San Francisco to help get him back. This is a mystery to start off young sleuths on their love of clues and puzzles to see how Mr. Whiskers and his young owners get their dad back home. Throughout the book, readers witness the characters trying to gather information in different ways. Mr. Whiskers can see, hear, and smell things that Zelda and Misty can't, but by working together, they will discover hidden passages and even treasures. VERDICT A lovely genre introduction, perfect for those starting out to enhance reading comprehension with and enough fun to keep seasoned readers engaged.—BreAnn Weeks - Copyright 2023 Publishers Weekly, Library Journal and/or School Library Journal used with permission.
Booklist - 09/15/2023 A stray dog who “nose” his way around detective work helps two newly arrived boardinghouse sibs find and fetch back their “dadnapped” father in this breezy and pun-ishing caper. Hardly have Misty and Zelda Nanigan—dubbed the “shenanigans” by the canine narrator—seen their archaeologist single dad hustled off by toughs than they’re on the job, pulled, pushed, and prodded by a ruff streetwise pooch and supported by a network of doggy spies and informants. Along with laying down a trail of juicy clues to sniff out on the way to an exciting denouement, Van Draanen chucks in a stash of pirate gold (a classic MacGuffin if ever there was one) to go with a raft of likewise classic tropes, from a secret room and a hidden staircase to hints of ghostly doings in a ramshackle old San Francisco manor. By the end, the slobbery sleuth will have won over readers just as he does the Nanigan clan, though many will wish for more of Catalán’s well-crafted, detail-rich monochrome illustrations. - Copyright 2023 Booklist.
