Rosanne Hawk (text) and Jasmine Berry (illustrator), Pepper Masalah and the Disappearing Rope (Pepper Masalah #4), July 2024, 78 pp., RRP $12.99 (pbk), ISBN 9781761111624

In this latest addition to the Pepper Masalah series, readers follow Zam and Pepper on another adventurous trip on their magic carpet. So far, they have been to the Arabian Peninsula, Ancient Egypt and modern day Afghanistan, so where in time and space will they find themselves this time?
As usual it takes Zam and Pepper a little while collecting clues before they can determine where are when they are. The notice that there are no power lines and no lights at night, and that the houses are made of wood or mudbricks and not painted. No one speaks English and it seems like the great land down under hasn’t been put on a map. Zam is beginning to narrow it down and concludes that have definitely travelled back in time to at least the 1600s or earlier. A new friend reveals that they are in Lahore, Pakistan. Of course, there is trouble and Zam and Pepper have to sort things out before they leave, every story needs a problem and a resolution.
This series is very consistent. I have reviewed a few others in the series, and I think the tone, the level of the language and the pace is all very similar. This series is most suitable for readers who are practising fluency but are mostly independent. Despite the exotic setting, the vocabulary is still very accessible, with many words explained in the text (there is also a glossary).
This series should be utilised as take-home readers for strong readers in grade 2-3, or weaker readers in grades 4 and up. It would fit in well among series such as Aussie Nibbles or other short chapter books.
Reviewed by Cherie Bell