Citation: Gosling, G.
(2004). The top secret files of Mother
Goose. Milwaukee, WI: Gareth Stevens Publishing.
Summary: The Queen of
Hearts has a problem and Detective Mother Goose is who she calls to help
her. Her strawberry tarts are missing
and with some clues Detective Mother Goose begins her investigation to discover
who the culprit is. She questions
various suspects: Mary Contrary, Little Miss Muffet, Bo Diddle and many more
until she finally figures out who’s initialed HM hankie got left at the scene
of the crime.
Impression: Peace and A
Kid-Friendly Read!
I
can’t say that I love this one, L sorry. But I
will say that it is a peaceful and cute mystery that reminds you of many fairy
tale characters and their traits. Of course more of that peaceful feeling comes
on when you reach the end of the story and the mystery is solved. This
kid-friendly read is sure to please when the guilt one is forced to write lines
on a chalkboard stating “I will not steal the Queen’s tarts”.
Reviews: K-Gr 4-- When the Queen of Hearts discovers her
strawberry tarts missing, she calls in Mother Goose, "Chief Detective of Nursery
Rhyme Crime." The clues include a trail of crumbs, a dish and a spoon, and
a hankie with the initials HM. As Mother Goose
questions each suspect, a full-page illustration of that individual appears
opposite the text, which is printed on a manila-folder background. A
handwritten note with humorous details about that particular character appears
to be paper clipped to the file. Readers
may question the detective's technique as she chases down alleged perpetrators
who do not have the correct initials. However, logic aside, the comical
rewording of familiar facts will appeal to those who are conversant with
nursery rhymes. The vibrant cartoons pop off the pages, and the witty details
will have youngsters studying the pictures with interest. Serving as a foil for
the boisterous cast of characters, Mother Goose
appears almost too charming and sweet to be pitted against this wild and wacky
lineup of possible criminals, but that only adds to the comedy. With its retro
artwork and imitation of hard-boiled detective speech, this text-heavy mystery
is more appropriate for older children, but the story and its solution may be a
bit too simplistic to hold their attention. Fans of Jon Scieszka's humor seem
the most likely audience for this book's campy art and puns.
Edwards, L.,
& Mandell, P. (2004). The top secret files of mother goose! (Book). School
Library Journal, 50(5), 112.
The
Top Secret Files of Mother Goose
belongs with Jon Scieszka's The True Story of the 3 Little Pigs and Rosalind
Alchin's The Frog Princess as another excellent example of the fractured fairy
tale. As a bonus, this slim picture book also contains the features of an adult
detective novel: a crime, a number of clues, numerous suspects with motives,
and a sleuth who ultimately deduces the perpetrator's identity. The crime in
question is the theft of the Queen of Hearts' breakfast tarts, and, because of
his previous criminal record, suspicion immediately falls on the Knave of
Hearts. To solve the theft, the Queen enlists the assistance of Mother Goose, Chief Detective of Nursery
Rhyme Crime, who narrates the rest of the book. Mother Goose
can immediately eliminate the Knave for he has a solid alibi; he's on holidays
in Hawaii; however, the Knave suggests that "Mary Contrary might have some
information." As Mother Goose
follows up on each individual, that person either suggests yet someone else who
may be connected to the crime or Mother Goose
simply follows the trail of crumbs which leads to yet another suspect. In
addition to the Knave and Mary Contrary, Mother Goose
questions Miss Muffet, Bo Diddle, Little Boy Blue, Miss Bo Peep, Patrick
"Patty Cake" Buttermore, Peter Peter and Humpty Dumpty before
recognizing the true significance of one of the clues which points to the real
culprit's identity. Banks even follows one of the "rules" of
detective fiction by introducing the thief early in the story while disguising
the person's means and motive. As the crime genre demands, the
"criminal" is punished but, in this instance, in a manner with which
kids will be able to identify.
Jenkinson,
D. (2003). The top secret files of Mother Goose. CM: Canadian Review Of
Materials, 10(2), N.PAG.
Use
in Library: -This book would be perfect to use as a read
aloud to the upper elementary grades. A
mock mystery theater could be set up in the library where clues will have to be
discovered and a path has to be followed to find a guilty party. Another
suggestion would be to have a reader’s theater because of all the various fairy
tale characters
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