The Legend of Diamond Lil (J.J. Tully Series)

by Doreen Cronin, Kevin Cornell

Overview

The Legend of Diamond Lil, second book in the illustrated J.J. Tully mystery series, is perfect for elementary-school kids who love adventure and animals. New York Times bestselling author Doreen Cronin brings the same wonderful humor to the JJ. Tully whodunits that she did to her beloved picture book bestsellers like Diary of a Worm.
 
In this sequel to the chapter book The Trouble with Chickens, all search-and-rescue dog J.J. Tully wants is to enjoy his retirement. But mama chick Moosh and chicks Dirt and Sugar are acting strange. A possum keeps finding its way into the chicken coop. And J.J. has questions about Diamond Lil, the fancy new dog next door. He’ll have to track down the clues and sniff out the evidence to save the day.
 

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780061779961
Publisher:	HarperCollins Publishers
Publication date:	02/28/2012
Series:	J.J. Tully Series
Pages:	144
Product dimensions:	5.70(w) x 7.80(h) x 0.80(d)
Lexile:	NC630L (what's this?)
Age Range:	7 - 11 Years

About the Author

Doreen Cronin is the New York Times bestselling author of Diary of a Worm, Diary of a Spider, and Diary of a Fly, as well as Click, Clack, Moo: Cows That Type, a Caldecott Honor Book, and Giggle, Giggle, Quack. She lives in Brooklyn, New York, with her husband and their daughters.

Kevin Cornell rests his head in Philadelphia, where he and his wife match wits daily with a terrifying dachshund. Other monsters Kevin has recently tamed include The Terrible Two series by Mac Barnett and Jory John, Count the Monkeys by Mac Barnett, and Lulus Mysterious Mission by Judith Viorst.

Editorial Reviews

Praise for THE TROUBLE WITH CHICKENS: “The noirlike detective Tully and the funny chickens running around, well, like chickens make appealing characters, especially as drawn by Cornell, who knows how to get TV cartoon–style humor out of the action.

Booklist

Retired search and rescue hero J.J. Tully is once again using his deducing skills to unravel a mystery. His friend Moosh (the hen) and her chicks are spending a lot of time next door with the neighbor's new pet, the shiniest mutt J.J. has ever seen. She calls herself Diamond Lil and she has "a fluffy white coat and a long full tail that curled along the ground" and her voice has a soft Southern drawl. The little chicks are intrigued by her talk of feathery boas and good manners. But J.J. wonders why she seems to know so little about the neighbor's college bound child. To make matters worse there is a thieving possum hanging around the henhouse. Why does Diamond Lil always show up at the same time and place as the possum? The intrepid detective enlists the aid of Vince, "an inside dog with a mean streak" (and a plastic cone around his head) to run down the clues. Snappy dialog and hilarious twists and turns add up to a lot of silly fun. The early chapter book crowd will love following the clues as well as hearing of J.J.'s exploits as a search and rescue dog. There are enough twists and turns to keep readers guessing and the likeable characters, even the "bad" guys, add up to and enjoyable romp. This sequel to Trouble with Chickens is a winner and readers will be begging for more adventure from this comical but competent canine. Black and while illustrations add visual support. Reviewer: Beverley Fahey

Children's Literature - Beverley Fahey

Fans of Cronin's first J.J. Tully mystery, The Trouble with Chickens (2011), will welcome the return of retired search-and-rescue dog J.J. Tully, mother hen Moosh and her four chicks in this follow-up adventure. The plot unfolds smoothly, ensuring that those unfamiliar with the first volume won't have trouble tracking the action, but readers are likely to enjoy the silliness even more if they're already familiar with the continuing cast of characters. This time around, there's a hint of romance with the sudden appearance of a lovely purebred in the neighborhood. Distracted by the dame (and prone to overestimating his own intelligence), J.J. spends some time swapping stories with "Diamond Lil" and misreads the situation entirely. So it takes him a while to figure out the connection between the lovely Lillian and an opossum that has been sniffing around the henhouse. With a little help from last volume's villain, Vince-the-Funnel, J.J. finally solves the mystery of Lillian's past. Meanwhile, Moosh matter-of-factly solves the possum problem, smoothing the way to a happy ending for all concerned. Cronin parodies the snappy dialogue and world-weary insouciance of classic noir detectives perfectly while keeping the text accessible for her intended audience. Cornell's black-and-white illustrations add to the humor and expand the personalities of Cronin's kooky crew. Here's hoping J.J. and company find more to puzzle over pronto. (Comic mystery. 8-11)

Kirkus Reviews

Gr 2–4—A former search-and-rescue dog, J. J. Tully is having a hard time enjoying his retirement. With a coop full of chickens to protect and a possum to keep out, he has his hands full. In this follow-up to The Trouble with Chickens (HarperCollins, 2011), a canine named Lil appears next door, and J. J. becomes suspicious of her. She is nice to him, and together they take walks at night; but every time they do, the possum reappears and attacks the pen. To make matters worse, when asked about the owner of the house's daughter, who recently moved away, Lil seems to know nothing about her or the family. Is she the sweet, refined dog she appears to be or is something else afoot? Although this early chapter book is only moderately paced, the characters are endearing and funny. The mystery of Diamond Lil plays mostly in the background but does a good job of holding readers' interest. Tully's search-and-rescue stories sprinkled throughout are entertaining and will attract the attention of those who like adventure. The eye-catching illustrations do a great job of drawing readers' attention to important story details. Children who like a little bit of everything mixed into their reading, particularly mystery, adventure, and animals, will enjoy this book.—Kira Moody, Whitmore Public Library, Salt Lake City, UT

School Library Journal