Detective Small in the Amazing Banana Caper

Reviewed by Three Silly Chicks - Readers, Writers, and Reviewers of funny books for kids. Fireman Small fans rejoice! The little guy with the big schnoz is back, only this time, he's a detective on the trail of a banana thief. A slippery criminal to be sure! "From Chinatown to Little Havana/Uptown, downtown--not ONE banana!" It's up to Detective Small to find the villain and he doesn't waste a moment. Small zips around town on his Vespa collecting clues which lead him to one suspect: an ape in a zoot suit. But when Detective Small nabs his ape, he begins to suspect that the big ape has been framed. It's up to Detective Small to peel back the layers of this case to find the real banana thief. With tight, rhyming text, Wong Herbert Yee creates a fast, fun adventure for Detective Small. Visual jokes abound in Yee's charcoal and watercolor illustrations making each page a treat. Our favorite is the police lineup of yellow-clad suspects which includes a Tour de France leader, a dog in a banana suit and Curious George's pal. (We always thought that man in the yellow hat was a little cheesy.) Detective Small in the Amazing Banana Caper is simply great fun. Case closed.

Wong Herbert Yee's DETECTIVE SMALL IN THE AMAZING BANANA CAPER tells of a real dilemma: all the bananas are missing in town, and the police are stumped. It's Detective Small to the rescue, but after he discovers a suspect he then has his hands full capturing the suspect in this rollicking, rhyming adventure.