Melanie Alexander, Here Kitty, Kitty (Lexi & Lottie #1), Random House Australia, 29 May 2017, 96pp., $12.99 (pbk), ISBN: 9780143784135
This book got bonus points with me for being about two white tiger cubs. Tigers are a big deal in our household, and there are interesting tiger facts scattered throughout the book.
Pounce, one of the tiger cubs at Lexi and Lottie’s animal park, goes missing, and the Twin Detectives track the clues, with the help of their friends, to find the thief. One by one, they examine the suspects and use their deductive skills.
I quite enjoyed the process of deduction, with a dash of humour and adventure, as the clues are collected. This story, and presumably the series, fits nicely into the somewhat odd gap between Dora the Explorer and the Trixie Belden mysteries, blending information and detection into an enjoyable story. The point is also made, I was glad to find, that taking animals without understanding the care they need can be harmful to the animal in question.
As a side note, I was pleased to see that the font size and format was very accessible for a young reader, with just enough cartoon-style illustration to keep a visual interest. Readers aged 7 to 10 who like animals, mysteries and problem-solving should enjoy this story, although the books do seem to be marketed more firmly at girls.
Reviewed by Emily Clarke
