Return to FunJungle With Big Game, a Mystery That Takes Monkey Business Seriously

Like the great detectives before him, middle schooler Teddy Fitzroy has a knack for being in the wrong place at the wrong time. If there’s danger around, chances are he’ll come face-to-face with it sooner or later. And, since he lives in FunJungle (part zoo/part amusement park), there’s plenty of opportunities for excitement.
In Belly Up, author Stuart Gibbs introduced us to Teddy as he moved with his scientist parents from Africa to FunJungle. Soon after, Henry the Hippo passes on, and Teddy discovers he’s got a knack for solving mysteries. In Gibbs’s follow up, Poached, Teddy returned, this time accused of a crime he didn’t commit—stealing a koala.
The third novel in the series, Big Game, picks up where Poached left off, with Teddy having made quite the name for himself as a precocious kid and resident super sleuth. He may have cleared himself of the koala-napper charges, but the security guard who wrongfully accused him now has it out to prove that Teddy’s nothing but a little troublemaker. And then there’s J.J. McCraken—the owner of FunJungle—who’s decided Teddy should take a more active role in FunJungle’s security, in spite of what Teddy’s parents have to say on the subject.

It all starts when shots are fired at FunJungle, causing an elephant stampede. After the chaos dies down, the FunJungle crew discovers that someone is after Rhonda Rhino, a pregnant and endangered Asian greater one-horned rhinoceros. Extra security is brought in, and Teddy is put on the case, but the hunter proves these measures aren’t enough when they go after Rhonda again. With big game hunters living in FunJungle’s backyard and the price of rhinoceros horns so high on the black market, Teddy and crew must discover not only who’s trying to harm Rhonda, but also why. Meanwhile, a thief is breaking into various sweet shops around the park, and unfortunately, Teddy is the prime suspect once again.
The best mysteries are the ones that guide us along, so we can piece the puzzle together at the same time as the main character and celebrate the achievement along with our new fictional besties. And just like the earlier installments in this series, Big Game pulls all the threads together to wrap up a satisfying mystery—so that you are right there with him when Teddy has his aha! moment. Teddy doesn’t leave any questions unanswered as he discovers the would-be-poacher and the culprit behind the store break-ins.

But the book is more than a satisfying mystery for all ages; it’s also a fun way to learn about animals. Teddy’s been around them his whole life, and the amount of hot knowledge he drops on the subject is staggering. You’ll learn about different species of primates (Teddy’s mom works in Monkey Mountain), the eating habits of crocodiles, and so much more. This book is basically a dream come true for any kids interested in animals (so, nearly all kids).
It also doesn’t shy away from the tough subjects, like animal conservation and hunting. Gibbs doesn’t just tell us about the different rhino species that are endangered, he also mentions different conservation efforts, including cutting off the horns and big game hunting, without advocating for either one. He doesn’t pretend to have an easy solution to a complex question, but he does examine the question from different angles, allowing readers to make up their own minds. At the end, Gibbs even provides additional information on where readers can go to learn more about the endangered rhinos.
Big Game hit shelves October 13, 2015.