Murilla Gorilla, Jungle Detective. Written by Jennifer Lloyd, illustrated by Jacqui Lee. Simply Read Books, 2013. ISBN 978-1-927018-15-6
Summary: Murilla is not your typical detective. Not only is she a gorilla, but she is prone to napping, driving slowly, finding everything but the item she is looking for, and more napping. When Ms. Chimpanzee reports that her banana muffins have been stolen, Murilla takes the case and heads over to Mango Market to investigate.
After gathering the details of the muffins that went missing, Murilla looks for clues and finds crumbs and footprints. Tracking down the thief proves to be a difficult task, and Murilla decides to disguise herself in the hopes of catching the culprit. Her choice of costume is a stroke of genius (a banana tree!), and her stake out begins.
Will Murilla solve the mystery of the missing muffins, or will this case prove too tough to crack?
Critical Evaluation: Murilla Gorilla bumbles her way through this case, but is so completely charming that children will be rooting for her at every step in her detective work. She is neither efficient or terribly focused, but as she records each clue in her notebook, young mystery fans will have opportunity to puzzle through the case with her.
Murilla's world is located somewhere in Africa, and the supporting characters in the story are other animals you would find there such as okapis, anteaters, and hippos. Lee's warmly colored illustrations are composed of mostly pink, orange, and green pastel shades which lend a tropical feel to each page.
The short chapters, easy to read typeface and larger type size will provide new readers with a tale that is paced to keep them interested and engaged. The illustrations reinforce the details of the plot and can provide clues to help an emergent reader puzzle out a difficult word. This is a lovely example of how delightful characters, an appealing story line, and an exotic setting can combine to create an imaginary world that children will want to return to again and again.
Age or Interest Level: Ages 3 to 6
Awards: ---
Why Included? This book reminded me of The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency by Alexander McCall Smith, but for a much younger audience.