The Web Files

Hysterically funny book, especially for Dragnet lovers. Third and Fourth graders love the book, second graders don't get all the humor. Well worth a fifteen buck investment.

The Web Files is a wacky, hilarious detective tale set in a barnyard with two ducks as heroes. Dum De Dum Dum. Styled on the old Dragnet series model, the tale unfolds with minimum clipped dialogue and lots of implied action humourously expressed by the color illustrations of Richard Egielski. This school age child's book's style is contagious. Be prepared for repeat requests to read this one aloud.

What a fun and funny book Margie Palatini has written--and Richard Egielski's cartoonish yet deadpan illustrations complement it beautifully. Palatini has taken the "Dum de dum dum" theme from TV's long-ago "Dragnet" and applied it here to a barnyard mystery. Sounds simple, and simplistic, but she soars in weaving into the story all sorts of fairy tale and nursery rhyme goodies--not to mention wonderful wordplay, like:"A lot of squawking going on down in the coop area, Ducktective Web. Looks like fowl play. Report says feathers are flying. Chief says we should check out the chicks.""Chicks?""Check.""Let's fly." DUM DE DUM DUM . . .Palatini works in Peter Piper and his pack of pickled peppers (upping the ante by calling them perfect and purple as well), a falsely accused Little Boy Blue who offers the alibi that HE didn't do it because he was under the haystack, fast asleep--which the witnesses then confirm with: "The sheep were in the meadow. Cows in the corn." Swing back again quickly to the "Dragnet" end of things and the author makes one of the suspects an actual Dirty Rat (aptly named Ratzo).This is fun for children and possibly even more fun for their baby boomer parents. It's a great read.

This book is a great find. I read it in dragnet style ( for those old enough to know that) the characters are great for changing voice in the story and the dum da dum dum gets my son giggling every time. The bad guy gets caught and there is even some humor adults would enjoy. I recommend this to anyone who likes to add a little variety to the books they read and act out the story instead of just reading the words. EXCELLENT!!

We picked this book up at the library and have been laughing out loud ever since. You can read about the story itself in the editorial review above. This is one book I really love reading several times a day (as most kids want you to do). I've had a great time trying to get the Dragnet dead-pan voice just right - now try doing it with a tongue-twister too! This book is just plain funny!We both love the myriad references to other stories and characters, the tongue-twisting fun and wonderful illustrations. She loves hearing me read it and catches me if I miss one of the twisters. Reading the same book over and over truly CAN be fun!