Fabio The World's Greatest Flamingo Detective: Mystery on the Ostrich Express

Fabio The World's Greatest Flamingo Detective: Mystery on the Ostrich Express

By Author / Illustrator

Laura James, Emily Fox

Genre

Mystery & Detective

Age range(s)

7+

Publisher

Bloomsbury Publishing PLC

ISBN

9781408889343

Format

Paperback / softback

Published

04-04-2019

Synopsis

In a small town on the banks of Lake Laloozee lives the world's greatest flamingo detective. His name is Fabio. He's not tall or strong, but slight and pink. And he's very, very clever.

It's the height of summer and Fabio and his associate Gilbert are taking a relaxing holiday journey on the fastest train in the world! But no sooner does the conductor call 'All aboard' than a very expensive ruby necklace disappears and the great detective is back on the case!

The second book in the hilarious illustrated mystery series by the author of Captain Pug.

Reviews

Rhiannon

Fabio is the world's greatest detective! He also happens to be a flamingo. Perhaps the cleverest flamingo there ever was. So when the famous and valuable Laloozee ruby is stolen aboard The Ostrich Express, Fabio quickly brings the thieves to justice but all is not quite as it seems... An excellent mystery story for those age 5+, Fabio is highly illustrated by the talented Emily Fox in an engaging neon palette. Perfect for fans of Pamela Butchart, Tracey Corderoy & Steven Lenton and Alex T. Smith, this novel would be a wonderful class read for younger children or an enjoyable independent first read. Great fun! Ages 5+ / 110 pages / Reviewed by Rhiannon Cook, school librarian

Suggested Reading Age 5+

Emily

Fabio, the world's greatest flamingo detective, is back and he has another mystery to solve. Fabio may live in a small town on the banks of Lake Laloozee in Africa, but his private eye skills are often put to the test. With a canny ability to detect and unravel mysteries and with his friend and associate, Gilbert, by his side, no crime is too big for Fabio and his shrewd detective agency. At the beginning of this story Fabio and Gilbert have decided to take a holiday to the Coconut Palm resort, traveling on the Ostrich Express. Before they leave they have a few errands to run, one of which is at Alfonso's Jeweller's. Whilst there, they bump into the sophisticated desert fox Zazie, who picks up a rather special package from Alfonso. When Zazie leaves, Alfonzo appears helpful but distracted. He seems to be in need of Fabio & Gilbert's services but with an important train to catch, our private eye heroes have little time to spare to be of any assistance. The world's greatest flamingo detective has to take a holiday sometimes. Once Fabio and Gilbert board the majestic Ostrich Express it seems as though they can finally relax. But can the world's best private investigators ever really rest from their super sleuthing and take a proper break? No, it isn't long before things take a terrible turn for the worse. It appears that Zazie, the desert fox, is on board their train and she is wearing the famous Laloozee diamond. A treasure of that value is too much of a temptation for local bandits and the infamous leopard Janice the Claw. The Lazoozee diamond may be destined for a charity auction but that doesn't stop mastermind criminals from doing all they can to steal it. Thank goodness Fabio and his trusty sidekick Gilbert are on the case! Though Gilbert never can match Fabio's quick thinking and bumbles along at his side, his endearing ineptitude always seems to be well timed and he often inadvertently helps to catch the bad guys. All ends well, as it always does when Fabio is in charge. Laura James & Emily Fox's bright and appealing detective stories balance pace and good humour. This particular edition is florescent pink and orange and really jumps out on the bookshelf. As with the other books in this series, readers will enjoy the short chapters and will wish to read more of the mysteries in Fabio's case load after the plot is revealed. Emily Fox's illustrations are full of character and really help the reader to interpret and predict how the mystery unfolds, bringing the story to life. Many readers will chose to pick up this books simply because the illustrations are so engaging. And they'll be glad they did, because it is another clever, must read mystery, from this brilliant story writing team. The perfect read for newly independent readers, with a vibrant plot that will catch the eye of even the most reluctant readers. 128 pages / Ages 7+ / Reviewed by Emily Beale, librarian

Suggested Reading Age 7+

 

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