The Case of the Missing Tadpole (Detective Duck #2)

by Henry Winkler, Lin Oliver Narrated by Henry Winkler

Overview

When Taddy the Tadpole goes missing, Detective Duck and her friends in the Pond Squad are on the case. What first seemed like a simple search and rescue mission gets more complicated when her friends find a pipe leaking a strange brown liquid along with a cluster of peculiar blue-green plants that make
it difficult for the pond creatures to breathe.

Fortunately, Detective Duck is on the job, solving these puzzling mysteries before they get out of hand and destroy their habitat! The Pond Squad will have to work together to clean up their environment and bring Taddy home in this charming new mystery by all-star creative team Henry Winkler and Lin Oliver.

Editorial Reviews

Booklist

"Winkler and Oliver's newest early chapter book offers an engaging cast of animal characters, clearly presented mystery clues, and a gently delivered environmental message."

School Library Journal

★ 10/01/2024

Gr 2–4—Detective Duck is back on the case! Franny the Frog is frantic; her son, Tad the Tadpole, has gone missing. The ducky sleuth immediately sees Franny's problem and sets about solving it. She organizes the citizens of Dogwood Pond into a search party; two members, Beaver McBeaver and Harry the catfish, begin their search along the rim of the far side of the pond. They quickly uncover more problems than the missing Tad. They have trouble seeing in the murky brown water spilling out of a big metal pipe. Algae plants that have taken on a weird blue-green color are much thicker, making it harder to breathe. Gradually, a pond that has always felt safe is becoming dangerous, and there's still no sign of Tad. This second book in the "Detective Duck" series is perfect for young fans of read-aloud chapter books. Detailed, colorful artwork, drawn by Caldecott Award–winning illustrator Santat, brings Winkler and Oliver's story of perseverance and conservation to life. This is a message story, but it has plenty of spirit and character and offers readers a well-paced adventure that ends with, in the words of Detective Duck, "Poof! Problem solved!" VERDICT This entertaining sequel is recommended for chapter book read-alouds, and for those who appreciate children's stories that carry a gentle message of environmental awareness.—Cheryl Blevens

Kirkus Reviews

2024-07-04
In actor Winkler and author Oliver’s follow-up, Willow the duck’s sleuthing skills draw attention to another environmental threat at Dogwood Pond.

Once more, Snout the weasel menaces prey, but rather than eating Franny the frog, he wants her to whip up her fried flies at her lily-pad cafe. It’s closed, though, because Franny has an emergency: Her child, Tad the tadpole, has gone missing. Willow immediately begins assessing the evidence and enlists her adoptive beaver dad for some reconnaissance. Sal the salamander—a huge fan of comic books—speculates wildly, while Flitter the dragonfly searches from above. When a human boy’s glasses fall into the pond and onto Harry the catfish’s eyes, his sharper vision shows him the blue-green algae now choking part of the pond, along with an agitated three-legged frog. Willow’s incisive questions start leading to the mystery’s solution as Aaron the heron joins the aerial search. Facing her fears, and with help from her pals, the Pond Squad, Willow eventually discovers that the mystery is rooted in human-caused environmental issues; the forest ranger—the father of the bespectacled boy—tells his son about humans’ role in inadvertently introducing the algae and identifies a solution. Quips and asides enliven the aquatic action and provide relatable humor, while numerous colorful cartoon vignettes reflect the pond’s many angles.

Expanding her expertise, this detecting duck doesn’t disappoint, and neither does this entertaining sequel.(Early chapter book. 6-9)

Product Details

BN ID:	2940191538822
Publisher:	Recorded Books, LLC
Publication date:	10/15/2024
Series:	Detective Duck , #2
Edition description:	Unabridged
Age Range:	5 - 8 Years

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