Saygar the Detective: The Case of the Missing Noodle

by Elizabeth Jurado, Davey Villalobos (Illustrator)

Overview

THIS ANT-TURNED-MISCHIEVOUS-KID WAS MEANT TO BE A DETECTIVE!

Joseph is at his wit's end with his little cousin, Little Noodle. He is convinced Little Noodle is just an evil mastermind of a spoiled brat with a bad attitude. When Joseph decides he's had enough and sets out to find a way to cut ties with Little Noodle, he sets off a chain of events that leads to his cousin going missing. With the help of Saygar and his ant senses, Joseph and his friends embark on a dangerous journey to find Little Noodle and face unexpected challenges along the way. Follow along as they use their wits and teamwork to solve the mystery in this thrilling page-turner!

"This early elementary chapter book mystery drops enticing clues for readers in an entertaining, often humorous manner that still manages to explore deeper themes, especially those regarding family...A tightly written early readers mystery that will leave kids hungry for more." - Kirkus Review

This hilarious, action-packed book can be read as a standalone or as part of the Saygar Books series. What's it like to have an ant as a best friend? Grab your copy of Saygar the Detective and find out!

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781735634876
Publisher:	Wind Rock Press, LLC
Publication date:	03/01/2023
Series:	Saygar Books , #3
Pages:	186
Product dimensions:	5.00(w) x 8.00(h) x 0.43(d)
Age Range:	8 - 12 Years

About the Author

Elizabeth Jurado is a children's and middle grade author, a mom to three sons, and a keeper of three gray cats. Elizabeth used her experiences as a teacher and a mother to her extremely energetic sons to write her adventurous tale of a shy boy and a mischievous ant. Her writing has produced stories resonating with characters oozing imagination, witty humor, and a strong sense of family.

Editorial Reviews

2023-02-16
Jurado’s Saygar, an ant, is back for a new adventure in this children’s chapter book, this time as a detective solving a missing person case.

Saygar isn’t an ordinary ant; he’s fully kid-sized and needs to eat constantly to keep from shrinking. You’d think it would be tough for anxious third grader Joseph Mateo to keep his science project–turned–best friend (the reasons for Saygar’s startling size remain a mystery) under wraps, but Saygar actually masquerades rather well as a student in Joseph’s class. By the time this third installment in the Saygar series takes place, Joseph is well practiced at deceiving everyone. This includes his own Spanish-speaking family, which unfortunately includes two members that he wishes he didn’t have to know at all: his cousins Julia, a 4-year-old, and Saul Sam, a toddler also known as Little Noodle. When Joseph’s mom leaves him and Saygar to babysit these two troublemakers, Little Noodle disappears, and it’s up to Joseph, Julia, their neighbor Amanda Chavez, and Detective Saygar to find him in their Texas town before the adults come home from running errands. Joseph laments, “I wanted to un-family Little Noodle, but I didn’t want to get rid of him.” This early elementary chapter book mystery drops enticing clues for readers in an entertaining, often humorous manner that still manages to explore deeper themes, especially those regarding family. The book is peppered with illustrator Villalobos’ fun, cartoonish black-and-white drawings that highlight key moments of Jurado’s story. The plot moves at a steady pace that incorporates the danger of local villains (like the mean neighborhood kid known as the Moose), wacky hijinks (hiding Saygar’s true identity as an ant), and kooky neighbors (Mrs. Rosales and her many cats). This book may appeal to fans of series like the Geronimo Stilton books by Elisabetta Dami and Tadgh Bentley’s Dino Detectives, which similarly keep their readers on their toes.

A tightly written early readers mystery that will leave kids hungry for more.

Kirkus Reviews