I found this series wandering through my library’s new acquisitions list online, one of my weekday obsessions habits. At the time I decided to only order the first book to test drive in case I hated it. Who was I kidding?! I knew I should’ve reserved them all at the same time. I’ve now corrected that mistake. 😃
The publisher advises this series is for kids from 6 years, although I’m not sure I know a 6 year old who knows what discombobulated means. Don’t worry, though. It’s not full of big words. I imagine this series as the one you read when you’re not old enough for Dork Diaries yet.
In Dotty Detective we meet Dorothy Constance Mae Louise (Dot) whose family has just moved to a new flat. Dot’s family are her mother, twins (Alf and Maisy) and McClusky, super dog. This book follows Dot’s first four weeks at Oakfield School.
Dot is a budding detective, as is Bean (a new friend at school). Dot and Bean, along with McClusky (of course), form their own detective agency after discovering there is a mystery surrounding the upcoming school talent show. Dot also has another mystery on her hands, that of the items in her room that keep going missing.
Dotty Detective is told in a diary format, complete with illustrated stickers, drawings, Polaroids taped to the pages and other sweet decorative pieces. The drawings have a kiddie feel, not that I could draw that well when I was a kid. Okay, you’ve got me. I still can’t draw a legible stick figure.
I really enjoyed the illustrations as they add to the cute factor of the story, and there are also accidental inclusions to the diary that you’d expect from something well used by a kid, like a stray smear of toothpaste.
When I first tried this book I only made it a couple of pages before deciding it wasn’t for me. I guess I wasn’t in the right mood the first time around though. After giving it a few days and another go, I became hooked and read it straight through. I’m looking forward to continuing this series.
Once Upon a Blurb
Meet Dorothy Constance Mae Louise, or Dot as she prefers to be called! Dot loves super-sour apple sherberts, running fast and puzzles – especially if they’re fiendishly tricky. And with the help of trusty sidekick, Beans and TOP DOG, McClusky, she is always ready to sniff out a mystery. So when meangirl Laura seems set on sabotaging the school talent show, Dot is determined to find out how, and save the day …
Schizanthus Nerd 