Does font and book size attract more readers?

Kate on the Case by Hannah Peck

£6.99

ISBN: 9781848129702

Pages: 145

Publication Date: 8th July 2021

Author and illustrator: Hannah Peck

Author Contact Details:

Twitter: @hpillustration_

Instagram: @hannahpeckillustration

+44 207 326 9140
The Bright Agency
103-105 St John’s Hill, London SW11 1SY

Published by: Piccadilly Press

Publisher Contact Details:

Twitter: @PiccadillyPress

@BonnierBooks_UK

Molly.Holt@bonnierbooks.co.uk

lizz.skelly@bonnierbooks.co.uk

Under 100 characters summary:

Kate and her mouse find items going missing on a train and follow the clues to find the thief.

The first line:

Kate was ready to board the train.

The key characters (all wonderfully drawn on the pages before Chapter 1):

Kate

Dad

Mum

Catherine Rodreiguez

The Russian Priest

Conductor-in-training, Simon

Madame Maude

Master Mimkins The Third

Mr Billie

Miss Brulee

What do you need to know?

The story follows Kate, a young girl, who wishes to become an investigative journalist, and her pet mouse, called Rupert, who are travelling on a long train journey to the Arctic to see her mum, who has made an amazing discovery about Arctic seaweed. On the way, her fellow passengers discover that certain important items keep going missing. They are very unusual items, but important to each individual. Kate immediately consults her ‘Special Correspondent Manuel’ to find out what to do. She already suspects Madame Maude, an over-the-top, rude, autocratic old lady, but is she what she seems to be?

My review:

I loved many things about this book instantly. Firstly, I love the size of the book, smaller than average, but just the right size to slip into a pocket, and whip out when you have a spare moment to read (perhaps on a train). Secondly, I love the front cover and back cover – its enticing, simple yet elegant. Thirdly, its one of my favourite genres – a classic Agatha Christie style lock room mystery. Fourth, there are some (not too many) beautifully drawn, black and white pictures throughout the story, which have a lovely detailed style, and remind me a little of Quentin Blake. And that was before I even started to read the story!

I love the sort of ‘in’ jokes that happen throughout the story, even though the story itself is quite a serious one. Like the buttons that say ‘Ring me for orange juice’; the cat that overestimated its airborne skills; Kate would later write in her diary that what happened next was ‘Total and Utter Chaos’; and stealing was a bit of a no-no if you were a priest. Admittedly, a lot of these come from a certain, small creature, called Rupert’s, dry sarcastic wit.

There is a really nice stripy twist in the tail of this story, like all good murder mysteries, as Kate continues with her search. I think there are so many things that could be done with this book in Year 3 or 4 at school. You could look at the clear characterisation and how the author has done this. You could study the inverted commas and learn how to use these pieces of punctuation. You could hot seat the different passengers to see what they know about the mystery and find out more about their back story. It would great to make a model of the train to see who could have carried out the robbery. I would like to make another page from the ‘Special Correspondent Manuel’.

I’m really looking forward to the next story in this series! What case will face Kate next?