Big Bad Detective Agency

 

 

 

Title: Big Bad Detective Agency

Author: Bruce Hale

Publisher: Scholastic

Year: 2015

ISBN: 978-0-545-66537-7

Summary: When the house of the largest of the Three Little Pigs is broken into and all the food stolen, the Big Bad Wolf is blamed. He gets called into the Prince’s Court and is accused and sentenced to life in the dungeon with nothing to eat except porridge. The Wolf, whose real name is Wolfgang, claims his innocences and is allowed until the end of the day to try to find the real culprit. A fourth little pig, named Ferkel, who still lives at home with his mama offers to help him. He wants to become a detective so that he can leave home like his brothers did and start a life of his own. They find a scarf and go around the kingdom questioning anyone who they think may have committed this crime based on other crimes they had committed in the past. They spoke with Hansel and Gretel who had broken into the witch’s house and eaten all her candy, Goldilock who had once broken into the three bear’s house and eaten their porridge, Jack who had broken into a giant’s house and stolen his goose and harp, and even Cinderella who had once dated the prince and who now lives in a large estate but who had also broken up with the oldest of the three pigs. But they all had alibis. Then Wolfgang gets an anonymous letter telling him to go to the smallest of the three pig’s house which was a mess except for Mama Pig’s portrait on the wall. He was caught in a trap, hanging upside down by one leg. After getting loose, Wolfgang goes to the Prince with his theory. Mama Pig admits to trashing her son’s homes so they would have to come back and live with her. The case is solved and Wolfgang is free to go. He doesn’t really want to start a detective agency with Ferkel, but Jack needs some help and offers to pay them four gold pieces. And that’s how the Big Bad Detective Agency got it’s start.

Disclaimer: This book was nominated for the 2015 CYBILS Award in the Early Chapter Book category. This review is shared as part of the Round One Judging. It is solely my own opinion and not influenced by any other parties.