Fish You Were Here

July 1, 2011

Will the Help Wanted sign in the window of Mr. Venezi's Pets & Stuff Shop bring good or ill?

Befuddled but lovable Mr. Venezi's still advertising for an assistant to help him in his pet shop. With questions like "on a scale of 1 to 10, have you ever ridden a llama?" interviews are not going well. When ninth-grader Viola arrives, she seems the perfect employee. She turns a light on the lizards. She gives the ferrets tons of toys and tubes. She even puts the correct animal names on the cages; Mr. Venezi had labeled the chinchillas, "gorillas," among other misnomers. She does so well that guinea pig detective Sasspants becomes suspicious, and Mr. Venezi feels unneeded. When Mr. Venezi turns up missing and Viola, without supervision, starts slacking, Detective Sasspants is on the case. With careful deduction and a cunning plan, Sasspants and her junior partner Hamisher the hamster save the day again! Venable and Yue's Pet Shop Private Eye graphic series continues to charm. Yue's adorable pet-shop fur (and scale) people are just as expressive as their human counterparts, and Venable's gentle mystery and delightful, dry humor will extend Sasspant's fanbase. Includes information on goldfish and plecos, as well as a list of animal-related jobs at the back.

Great graphic tales for young readers and animal lovers; long may Sasspants detect! (Graphic mystery. 7-11)

(COPYRIGHT (2011) KIRKUS REVIEWS/NIELSEN BUSINESS MEDIA, INC. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.)

September 15, 2011
Grades 2-4 Mixed-up, lovable Mr. Venezi has hired an assistant for his pet shop. Viola seems to be efficient, but Sasspants the guinea pig suspects something isn't quite right. When Mr. V doesn't come to the shop the next morning, and Viola ignores the animals (except for the chinchillas) to watch a show on her computer, Sasspants and her hamster sidekick investigate the situation. Young readers will enjoy the wacky detective interviews and, if they pay attention to Hans, the new fish, they may solve the mystery before Sasspants does. Venable and Yue have concocted another winning entry in the cute Guinea PIG, Pet Shop Private Eye series.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2011, American Library Association.)

January 1, 2012
When Mr. Venezi hires the perfect assistant for his pet shop, she's so good the animals don't seem to need him anymore. It's up to Sasspants, grouchy and unpleasant guinea pig detective, to bring back Mr. Venezi. The story line is supported by crowded cartoon-panel illustrations with touches of humor (especially in the animal characters' facial expressions).

(Copyright 2012 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)