The Case of the Missing Tarts

by Christee Curran-Bauer

Overview

The Pigeon Detectives are looking forward to devouring a delectable platter of jam tarts—until the tasty treats are stolen from right under their beaks! With tummies grumbling, the PPD are on the hunt for clues, but can the detectives recover the tarts in time before they are all eaten—or worse—stale? As the list of suspects grows longer, our heroes wonder if they’ll ever catch the thief jam-handed.

Pigeon Private Detectives: The Case of the Missing Tarts, Christee Curran-Bauer’s author-illustrator debut, pokes fun at detective procedurals with kid-friendly humor!
 

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781454943617
Publisher:	Union Square Kids
Publication date:	08/29/2023
Series:	Pigeon Private Detectives , #1
Pages:	80
Sales rank:	245,799
Product dimensions:	6.10(w) x 8.40(h) x 0.70(d)
Age Range:	6 - 9 Years

About the Author

Christee Curran-Bauer has a BFA from Pratt Institute in communications design/illustration, and is a proud member of The Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators. Christee is a Jersey girl currently living in Virginia Beach with her family and spoiled French bulldog. She invites you to visit her at christeewithadoublee.blogspot.com and on Twitter at @ChristeeDoubleE.

Editorial Reviews

06/12/2023

In this humorous illustrated solo debut, Curran-Bauer introduces three birds of a feather who detect together: Martin P. Sweets, Felix Danish, and Ralph Custard, the Pigeon Private Detectives. When someone steals Mama Pigeon’s famous jam tarts—made with love and one supersecret ingredient—the detectives resolve to find the pastries before they are eaten, or worse, become stale. But the detectives are stumped when following a trail of crumbs leads to a dead end, and attempts to lure suspects into confessing using Mama Pigeon’s cookies fail. It’s only after Detective Sweets divulges the jam tarts’ secret ingredient that the dessert-napper reveals himself (by getting noisily sick into a bucket). Desperate to become a baker and star in a cooking show, the perpetrator had the half-baked idea to steal the tarts for research purposes but is soon forced to confront the consequences of his actions—and is offered a second chance. Vibrant colored pencil and rounded shapes render playful images of mouthwatering treats and avian protagonists sporting deerstalker caps. Readers will flock to Curran-Bauer’s lighthearted mystery. A glossary defining detective terms and a fact sheet conclude. Ages 6–9. (Aug.)

Publishers Weekly

[W]ith a bit of tongue-in-cheek humor and plenty of puns. The narrative, told through a mix of comic book–style panels and prose, is brought to life with crisp-lined cartoons with mostly pastel tones and a bit of film noir thrown in when the mood is right. An enjoyable homage to the dramatic mystery.” —Kirkus Reviews

“Readers will flock to Curran-Bauer’s lighthearted mystery. A glossary defining detective terms and a fact sheet conclude.” —Publishers Weekly

“[D]elightful comic-book-style drawings and kid-friendly humor.” —Daily Mom
 

“Full of clues and coos, The Case of the Missing Tarts is a delightful and delicious detective tale!”

–John Patrick Green, author of the InvestiGators series

From the Publisher

2023-05-24
The Pigeon Private Detectives are on the case!

Mama Pigeon has baked her delicious jam tarts for her son, Martin P. Sweets, and his fellow detectives, Felix Danish and Ralph Custard. She leaves the treats at the detectives’ headquarters. But the Pigeon Private Detectives are horrified when they arrive at the precinct to find an empty plate and smears of jam; every last tart has been stolen! Though their stomachs are rumbling, the detectives carefully search the office and send samples over to “fur-ensics.” They need to hurry before the tarts get eaten “or worse—stale.” They canvass the park but find no clues. They then check out the thief’s potential next target, the local bakery. The chipmunk assistant tells the detectives that nothing is amiss. Outside, jam-soiled clues begin to pile up. Meanwhile, the culprit researches the tarts, trying to discover Mama Pigeon’s secret ingredient. This series starter is at once a classic mystery and an animal story, set in a park with local critters. That balance would seem difficult, but it’s achieved here with a bit of tongue-in-cheek humor and plenty of puns. The narrative, told through a mix of comic book–style panels and prose, is brought to life with crisp-lined cartoons with mostly pastel tones and a bit of film noir thrown in when the mood is right.

An enjoyable homage to the dramatic mystery. (glossary, animal facts) (Fiction. 6-9)

Kirkus Reviews