REVIEWS+

Ace Lacewing, Bug Detective

The Big Swat
by David Biedrzycki
48p. 978-1-57091-747-9.
COPY ISBN
K-Gr 2 This adventure takes the buggy private investigator into the world of baseball. Bugsy Goldwing, the star rookie player for the Stinkbugs, Motham City's home team, has his lucky bat stolen right before a big game, and Ace is hired to find it. The trail takes him to ballparks and locker rooms throughout the league. The complicated story unravels slowly and reveals the thief to be Bugsy's competition for the MVP award. The bat is found cracked. But Bugsy realizes that it's not the bat; it's his ability and he knocks the ball out of the park. The case is solved. The Photoshop-produced illustrations are crisp and colorful, although in rather flat hues. The story has a noir feel to it, as the detectives all wear trench coats and talk tough. The lengthy text is laden with insect jokes, puns, and bug names and the plot is rather convoluted. Nonetheless, fans of the previous two Ace Lacewing titles will enjoy this one.-"Ieva Bates, Ann Arbor District Library, MI" Copyright 2010 Media Source Inc.
The bug detective's third picture book mystery concerns a stolen lucky baseball bat. The wordy, pun-filled story, narrated in the style of hard-boiled detective fiction, will likely appeal more to adults than kids, with references to Mickey Mantis, Fly Cobb, and Big Hoppi and jokes such as "the roach almost jumped out of his exoskeleton." Gaudy, somewhat entertaining digital pictures illustrate events.

Be the first reader to comment.

Comment Policy:
  • Be respectful, and do not attack the author, people mentioned in the article, or other commenters. Take on the idea, not the messenger.
  • Don't use obscene, profane, or vulgar language.
  • Stay on point. Comments that stray from the topic at hand may be deleted.
  • Comments may be republished in print, online, or other forms of media.
  • If you see something objectionable, please let us know. Once a comment has been flagged, a staff member will investigate.

RELATED 

More
ALREADY A SUBSCRIBER?

We are currently offering this content for free. Sign up now to activate your personal profile, where you can save articles for future viewing

ALREADY A SUBSCRIBER?