Review: "The Adventures of Joe Joe Nut and Biscuit Bill 3: The Case of the Missing Arch" by Renee Hand

About the Author:

Renee Hand is a multi award-winning author and requested speaker on the topic of using fun fiction to teach science, geography and history. Let her show librarians, educators, and parents how using her books can not only challenge readers and the way they think about problems in real life, but she creates high interest topics that suck the reader into her stories encouraging them into wanting to know more about the settings, science, history, culture and people. Skills like reading comprehension, reasoning, deduction and observation come together in a myriad of ways. 

In her Crypto-Caper Series children get to solve puzzles and cryptograms that are woven strategically inside of the story for the reader to find and solve inside of the books. Each book provides the reader with what they will need to solve the case, providing them with the knowledge and new skills that will help them succeed.

About the Book:

The elementary school at Acorn Valley holds an art fundraiser to help local animals whose homes were lost due to natural disasters. Four famous local artists--Claude Monet Mongoose, Georgia O'Giraffe, Vincent Van Goat and Pablo Picasso Peacock--have generously donated their weather-themed paintings for a charity auction. But a monkey wrench is thrown into the proceedings when distinguished Gila monster Dr. Ced E. Meant discovers, in a presentation at the Metropolitan Museum before the event, that his invaluable research has been stolen! His findings are so important that they cannot be leaked to the world at large! Meanwhile, more mysterious and fishy things are going on at the art auction, which Detectives Nut and Bill are determined to unravel. Geared for older children (and appealing enough for adults), this third entry in the series once again paints a delightful world of animal protagonists--teachers, scientists, etc.--using colorful illustrations with the lively black-and-white cartoons of Karwoski. Each of the animals--garbed like humans--has personality to spare, and they make amusing references to bills, hooves and tails. A genuinely crafty, complex mystery (including secret panels, art theft and characters who aren't as they appear) combines seamlessly with info about weather and art.

Kim's Musings Review:

Entertaining As Well As Educational
While mixing the subjects of science, art, history and weather, this story also entices the reader with a mystery and wonderful animal characters. It begins a theft of important research, and then another theft that ties into the first one.

I found this to be a very entertaining and educational read not only for children but for adults as well. Ms. Hand has done an excellent job of creating fun and lively characters. I loved the way she mixed up the different subjects that teaches the reader as well as entertains them. The end of the chapter information was a happy and welcoming surprise.

This is a well-written book with well-rounded characters and mysteriously suspenseful.

Get your copy of The Adventures of Joe Joe Nut and Biscuit Bill 3: The Case of the Missing Arch here. Your children will love you for it.

Next up my TBR list is Finding Liam by Cheryl A. Phillips and The Place We Went to Yesterday by Lisa Mauro.