The Case of the Missing Tarts (Pigeon Private Detectives #1)

In this humorous illustrated solo debut, Curran-Bauer introduces three birds of a feather who detect together: Martin P. Sweets, Felix Danish, and Ralph Custard, the Pigeon Private Detectives. When someone steals Mama Pigeon’s famous jam tarts—made with love and one supersecret ingredient—the detectives resolve to find the pastries before they are eaten, or worse, become stale. But the detectives are stumped when following a trail of crumbs leads to a dead end, and attempts to lure suspects into confessing using Mama Pigeon’s cookies fail. It’s only after Detective Sweets divulges the jam tarts’ secret ingredient that the dessert-napper reveals himself (by getting noisily sick into a bucket). Desperate to become a baker and star in a cooking show, the perpetrator had the half-baked idea to steal the tarts for research purposes but is soon forced to confront the consequences of his actions—and is offered a second chance. Vibrant colored pencil and rounded shapes render playful images of mouthwatering treats and avian protagonists sporting deerstalker caps. Readers will flock to Curran-Bauer’s lighthearted mystery. A glossary defining detective terms and a fact sheet conclude. Ages 6–9. (Aug.)