The Paw Print Puzzle (Dotty Detective, Book 2)

The Paw Print Puzzle with Dotty Detective is a great introduction to detective stories for young children. Dotty lives at home with her mum, twin brother and sister, and pet dog McClusky. Dotty and her friend Beans enjoy investigating mysteries and are spurred on by their favourite books about 'Fred Fantastic - Ace Detective'. The book begins with a family day out at a farm park. Dotty has a lovely day with her mum and siblings, petting and cuddling different animals. When she gets home, she hears noises outside of her bedroom in the corridor. When she goes out to see what is there, she can't see anybody or anything! The creaking continues over the next few days so Dotty and Beans get on the case! They use a range of tactics including dusting the footprints in the hall and trying to spy on the ghostly creature but they don't find any evidence. One night, Dotty realises that the only footprints they found that they didn't recognise looked like paw prints. She compares them to McClusky's and realises they are much smaller. Remembering the fluffy rabbit she cuddled at the farm, she tiptoes down the hallway only to find the rabbit in the cupboard! The mystery is over - her brother and sister had smuggled the rabbit back to their house from their farm visit! This book provides a gradual step for the transition between reading picture books and chunkier, more grown up books. It is not overloaded with text and has plenty of annotations and illustrations to break it up. The story will keep the reader in suspense and make them wonder who the invisible guest may be! It is set out from day to day like a diary which makes it easy to follow and also has a couple of interactive pages; it explains how to make some of Dotty's gadgets as well as providing a spot the difference game to complete. 137 pages / Ages 7+ / Reviewed by Lucy Newton, teacher.

Suggested Reading Age 7+

Dotty Detective: The Paw Print Puzzle is an enjoyable read for children between five and eight. The story is part of the Dotty Detective series and is a good introduction to the diary genre. Presented in a very similar way to the Diary of a Wimpy Kid series, children will find this book accessible and may relate to many aspects of the story. The story revolves around Dotty, with the help of her pet dog McClusky and best friend Beans, trying to solve the mystery of strange sounds and going-ons in her house. The text is easy to read and is presented in a fun way. With there not being much text on each page, younger children will feel some form of accomplishment by reading this 140 page story. In school, this book could be used to introduce the diary genre to KS1 children as well as dipping into PHSE by following one of the key messages within the story - Get Proof. 140 pages / Ages 5+ / Reviewed by Kyle Matravers, teacher.

Suggested Reading Age 5+