The Stolen Slipper

October 15, 2019
Mystery solvers Kara and Zed help crack the Cinderella case in the second Once Upon a Fairy Tale chapter book. Handsome, dashing Prince Patrick and his cute puppy, Duncan, stop in at Kara's family shoe shop because the glass slipper left behind by the mysterious woman who captured his heart at a ball--his only clue to finding her--has been stolen from his library, and he's looking for leads on who made it. As it was fairy godmother-made, Kara's parents can't help, but Kara offers her sleuthing services, together with her best friend, Zed. When the offer is quickly rejected (after Patrick consults his adviser), Kara decides they'll solve the mystery anyway. While the villain (and motive) behind the crime is revealed early, setting a trap for and catching said villain is only half of the puzzle. The other half is finding the shoe so that Cinderella's story can proceed on schedule. The mystery is well-structured for its age group, with all of the pieces (including red herrings) laid out early and then spotlighted at crucial moments, enabling readers to solve right alongside the racially diverse heroes--in the black-and-white illustrations, Kara and Cinderella are pale while Patrick and Zed have dark skin. The art's expressiveness buttresses the characterization and highlights key amusing animal moments (a welcome carryover from series opener The Magic Mirror, 2019). Young readers will be enchanted. (Fantasy/mystery. 5-8)

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December 1, 2019

Gr 1-3-Kara and her partner Zed are back in this magical mystery series inspired by classic fairy tales. In their second adventure, the two must aid the Prince in retrieving a missing glass slipper so that he can find the love of his life. Adventure abounds as the two detectives not only find the magical item, but uncover a secret about the kingdom in the process. The mystery, like the story overall, is simple, but a few twists are tossed in to throw readers off the scent. In typical "Branches" fashion, word choice and sentence structure are perfectly selected for the intended audience, and serve as a wonderful primer for more advanced chapter books. A plethora of pictures helps visualize the story and break up the text; artist Pamintuan depicts a variety of ethnicities among the characters, an excellent choice considering fantasy books often lack characters of color. VERDICT A joyful blend of mystery and fantasy, and another solid series installment by "Branches."-Peter Blenski, Hartland Public Library, WI

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