Detective Blue

Metzger, Steve. 2011. DETECTIVE BLUE. Ill. by Tedd Arnold. New York: Orchard. ISBN 9780545172868 [Suggested Grade Levels PreK-2]

REVIEW

Detective (formerly Little Boy) Blue spends his days fixing the various situations imposed by old Mother Goose. The dish and the spoon are recovered (and washed) before lunch. The sheep is caught following Mary into school (“How will I learn to read?” he laments as Detective Blue leads him away). And then, Jack Sprat reports that Little Miss Muffet has gone missing. Will Detective Blue be able to find her (without knocking Humpty Dumpty off the wall)?

This silly, humorous picture book is equally fun to read aloud to groups or individual children. It is arranged to resemble a comic book, significantly increasing the “kid appeal.” Tedd Arnold’s (of the FLY GUY series) art completes and expands Metzger’s amusing and witty text.

CONNECTIONS

This book pairs nicely with a variety of other fractured fairy tales or revised Mother Goose. See if children can spot and name every rhyme and story mentioned or pictured in the book. For those who may not have experienced Mother Goose at home, consider first sharing the original verses of Little Boy Blue, Mary Had a Little Lamb, The Dish Ran Away with the Spoon, Little Miss Muffet, Little Bo Peep, and others.

RELATED BOOKS

Stevens, Janet. AND THE DISH RAN AWAY WITH THE SPOON. ISBN 0152022988

Horowitz, Dave. HUMPTY DUMPTY CLIMBS AGAIN. ISBN 0399247734

By Sarah C. Dornback