“Detective Gordon: The First Case” by Ulf Nilsson, illustrated by Gitte Spee.
Gecko Press, Wellington, New Zealand, 2015, 96 pages, Grades 3-4.
Picture books are usually the first encounter children have with literature. These books are usually colorful and interesting. Through picture books, young children learn important essentials in reading such as the text flowing from the left to the right and the proper way to hold books. Since these children are learning to master the alphabet, the illustrations are usually more important than the written words to understanding the meaning of the story.
By the second grade, students will want to advance to what they call “chapter books.” These books are also called transitional readers as the students are moving from illustrations to textual material. But since their knowledge of reading is still in its infancy, these transitional readers are hard to write and still be interesting. Swedish author, Ulf Nilsson, has written a chapter book with a charming story entitled: “Detective Gordon: The First Case.”
Detective Gordon, a green toad, sits happily in the police station. Though he is the only police officer, he takes pride in the fact that he is the chief inspector. Inside the building it is warm and cheery, and on a nearby table are several different tins of delicious cakes. Looking outside, the detective sees the snow falling and gratefully looks forward to another cup of hot tea. He muses over the thought of a night filled with tea and cake.
But these pleasant thoughts are shattered when a squirrel bursts into the police station with the alarming news that someone has stolen 224 hazelnuts from his hiding place. The squirrel bitterly calls them “monstrous plunderers” and demands that the detective begin a search to find the thieves. Gordon reluctantly goes to the tree where the hazelnuts were stolen and sets up a stakeout.
Unfortunately, he is soon covered with snow and is frozen. At this time, a small mouse steals another nut and Gordon believes he has caught the criminal. However he discovers that he can’t move and must ask the thief to dig him out. Once freed, he marches the tiny mouse back to the jail. Since he is a detective, Gordon can’t believe that the small mouse has stolen all 224 nuts. So rather than jail the mouse, he asks for her name. He finds out she doesn’t have a name, so he names her Buffy. Then Buffy tells him that she can help the detective find the real thieves. So the next day the two trudge out into the snowy woods and set up a second stakeout. There is a sudden movement in the woods. What happens?
Do Detective Gordon and Buffy find the real thieves? What clues do they look for? How easy is it to find anything in a series of snowdrifts? Can the toad and the mouse catch the bandits? What would you do? To find out, go to the library and check out this pleasant transitional reader, “Detective Gordon: The First Case” by Ulf Nilsson.
This book was first written and published in Sweden and then translated into English. The plots of chapter books, such as this, are usually simple as the children do not have developed reading skills. Because of this, they usually do not have the compelling art found in picture books. The whole point is to teach children early reading skills. As a result, early chapter books are not usually “great literature.” However, they are great books for the children reading them.
Nilsson has created delightful characters in Detective Gordon and Buffy and primary readers will enjoy the story. So if your children are moving beyond picture books, this is an excellent choice. It is fun reading. Enjoy!
