Title: Horace and Bunwinkle
Author: PJ Gardner
Genre: mystery
Similar books: Bunnicula by James Howe
Claude in the Country by Alex T Smith
Rating:
Summary (provided by publisher): Horace Homer Higgins III despises dirt. And the outdoors. And ducks. But when his person, Eleanor, moves to a farm called the Homestead, the anxious Boston Terrier is forced to adapt. As if that isn’t enough to strain his nerves, Ellie adopts a perpetually cheerful potbellied pig named Bunwinkle to be his baby sister.
Bunwinkle is delighted to be on the farm despite the stuffy demeanor of her new canine brother. She’s sure she’ll crack his shell eventually—no one can resist her cuteness for long—especially once they bond over watching a TV pet-tective show.
When the duo discovers that neighborhood animals have been disappearing, they decide to use their new detective skills to team up to solve this barnyard mystery. Is it a mountain lion? Or their suspiciously shot-loving veterinarians?
Only one thing seems certain: if they don’t figure it out soon, one of them might be next!
My opinion: Books about animals interacting with humans have to be carefully done. Otherwise the humor can rely too much on the animals not understanding human figures of speech. And that is a trap that this book falls into often. Horace and Bunwinkle misinterpret what their owner says and what they hear on television. They jump to conclusions and get into a lot of trouble. The animal interactions are strong, the mystery elements less so. The evidence is presented in an uneven manner, discovered largely by accident. The resolution is a bit over the top. A good idea with a lot of promise but somewhat lacking in the execution.
Advanced Reader Copy provided by NetGalley
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