Leon Chameleon P.I. and the Case of the Missing Canary Eggs
By: Jan Hurst-Nicholson
Illustrated by: Barbara McGuire
ISBN: 9780958377331
Published 1993 by Gekco Books
Available format: Paperback, ebook
My Rating: ★★★★★
I became a huge Leon Chameleon fan as I read Leon Chameleon P.I. and the Case of the Kidnapped Mouse, so Jan sent along the Case of the Missing Canary Eggs for me to try. My six-year-old and I read this one together a chapter at a time, which is always a fun thing for us to do (I LOVE reading with my kiddos!). Every day he would remind me we had to read our next chapter of Leon!
In the Case of the Missing Canary Eggs, the reader gets to see where it all began. Mr. and Mrs. Canary’s eggs have mysteriously disappeared, and, in their haste, the Pigeon Valley Police is after the wrong suspects. Leon Chameleon steps in and offers his services, finding significant clues that were previously overlooked. Leon must lead a daring plan to rescue the eggs and trap the real culprits before it is too late.
While I think more ofLeon’s personality showed in the Kidnapped Mouse, he is definitely still a truly likeable chameleon! He starts out more on the sidelines, using his unique abilities to observe the action and step in at precisely the correct moment. Of course, his Uncle Leonardo is an ever-present inspiration, and ultimately it is his influence that leads Leon to the conclusion of the case.
Again, I love the diversity of the different characters. The illustrations are beautiful and really helped my son make more sense of the story. I also still appreciate that the writing is not over-simplified, so it helps to expand my son’s vocabulary and is still appropriately entertaining for adults.
I think my favorite part of this story was when Leon goes in to lure one of the suspects away from the eggs. I can’t describe the scene without spoiling the story, so you’ll definitely have to check it out to find out for yourself!
