The Case of the Baffled Bear (High Rise Private Eyes Series #7)

by Cynthia Rylant, G. Brian Karas (Illustrator)

Overview

Bernard is a bike messenger who blows his red whistle to let people know he's coming through. But his whistle's missing. Where could it be? This sounds like a case for the High-Rise Private Eyes -- Case #007, to be exact, the case of the baffled bear Because no mystery is too mysterious, no puzzle too puzzling, no crime too criminal, no trouble too troubling for ace detectives and very best friends Bunny Brown and Jack Jones. Bunny Brown and Jack Jones are private detectives. They met several years ago on the elevator in the high-rise building where they both live (Detective Brown on a high floor, Detective Jones on a low floor). Jack was eating. Bunny was thinking. But they soon started talking and discovered that they shared a love for cracking cases, puzzling out puzzles, and solving mysteries. After graduating from the Snoop and Scoop Night School for aspiring sleuths, Bunny and Jack opened their own agency. They have been known as the High-Rise Private Eyes ever since. Their advice for young detectives just starting out? Keep your eyes peeled. And your oranges!

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780060534509
Publisher:	HarperCollins Publishers
Publication date:	02/21/2006
Series:	I Can Read Book 2 Series , #7
Edition description:	Reprint
Pages:	48
Sales rank:	268,667
Product dimensions:	5.50(w) x 8.50(h) x 0.00(d)
Lexile:	330L (what's this?)
Age Range:	4 - 8 Years

About the Author

Cynthia Rylant's gift for conveying the enchantment and beauty to be found in everyday life is seen in such award-winning books as Missing May, winner of the Newbery Medal; A Fine White Dust, a Newbery Honor Book; and The Relatives Came and When I Was Young in the Mountains, both Caldecott Honor Books.

Books she's written and illustrated include the much-beloved Dog Heaven and Cat Heaven.

Cynthia Rylant grew up in West Virginia. She now lives in the Pacific Northwest.

G. Brian Karas has written and illustrated several award-winning children's books, including On Earth and Home on the Bayou: A Cowboy's Story, a Boston Globe–Horn Book Honor Book. The picture books he has illustrated include Are You Going to Be Good?, a New York Times Best Illustrated Book written by Cari Best. Mr. Karas lives in Rhinebeck, New York.

Table of Contents

Chapter 1.	Pretzels	7
Chapter 2.	The Case	15
Chapter 3.	The Whistle	29
Chapter 4.	Solved	39

Editorial Reviews

In case number seven, private detectives Bunny and Jack have a very unusual case to solve. The tale opens with them playing a game of Slap Jack and they play for pretzels. Bunny who is the brains of the team is also the winner at cards. She gets the pretzels and enjoys eating them while Jack watches. Not able to stand it anymore, Jack races out to get some taffy and returns with it and a bear named Bernard. He is a messenger, but he has lost his whistle, which he uses to alert people that he is racing around on his bike making deliveries. With Bunny and Jack on the case, it is just a matter of time until the culprit is identified and the case solved. In the meantime, there is plenty of humorous banter among all the parties, and a true act of kindness on the part of Bernard when he lends out his whistle. The colorful, breezy illustrations from Karas also convey much of the humor and kids will eagerly await the next case to be solved by the High-Rise Private Eyes. 2004, Greenwillow/HarperCollins, Ages 6 to 8.
—Marilyn Courtot

Children's Literature

Gr 1-3-Bunny Brown and her raccoon sidekick, Jack Jones, solve another mystery. Bernard, a bear, has lost his whistle in the park and the detectives return to the scene of the crime to look for clues. As they search, Bunny makes jokes about Jack's name (referring to a game of Slap Jack and saying, "Just be nimble, Jack"), and Jack is busy smelling spring, so it doesn't look like they are off to a good start. Before long, however, they hear the sound of the whistle and discover that a robin with laryngitis had borrowed it to fill in for his voice. Rylant keeps her audience interested with her witty humor and lovable characters. This book combines the accessible charm of her "Henry and Mudge" series (S & S) with the detective work of Marjorie Weinman Sharmat's Nate the Great (Delacorte). Done in acrylic, gouache, and pencil, the colorful artwork depicts the action and highlights the humor of the text. With sophisticated vocabulary and clever banter, this book will be a top pick for more confident readers.-Bethany L. W. Hankinson, Miller Elementary School, Newark, OH Copyright 2004 Reed Business Information.

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