Gus and Gertie and the Lucky Charms

By Joan Lowery Nixon    Illustrated by Diane deGroat
SeaStar 2002
ISBN 1587171589
ages 6 - 8

Out of print. Look for it in your school or local library.

Gus and Gertie arrive at the Animals' Winter Olympics with dreams of winning gold as Antarctica's first synchronized swimming team. But first they find out that swimming isn't even an event at the winter games, and then Gertie's good-luck pin gets stolen-along with the other athletes' lucky charms. Can readers find the clues hidden in Gus's snapshots and help solve the crime?

From School Library Journal...While the characters mimic human life, they retain some natural traits, from the prickly hedgehog official to the tiny information mouse. This story is fun and offers a challenge to sift through many details. deGroat's bright watercolor illustrations reflect the bustling winter scenes, with animals that convey lots of emotion as they mimic human activity, reinforcing the text with charm and pizzazz. Let Gus and Gertie join the ranks of Pinky and Rex and Cam Jansen as a bridge from easy-readers to chapter books.
Laura Scott, Baldwin Public Library, Birmingham, MI Copyright 2002 Cahners Business Information, Inc.

From Booklist ... the story moves along at just the right pace for readers making a transition to longer chapter books, and there's plenty of humor to match the suspense. The expressive, silly animal athletes in deGroat's color illustrations will help keep new readers engaged in this light but appealing offering that is just in time for the 2002 Olympics.
Gillian Engberg Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved