Children’s librarians will quickly recognize the name of Shaskan as one that is associated with the funniest of picture books and a sure laugh in storytime. As far as I’m aware, this is the first time the duo have branched out together into graphic novels and their style translates well to this medium.
The book opens with a list of the extensive cast. Q, Quillan Lu Hedgeson, and Ray Ratzberg are students at Elm Tree Elementary and they solve mysteries with the supervision of the media specialist, Mr. Shrew. Their classroom teacher, Ms. Boar, is a bit touchy and always telling people to settle, but the art teacher Ms. Easel, is a free spirit and loves art. Occasionally the two need help from magic shop owner Jimmy, who knows everything magic. The police are there too, in Officer Rocco. Finally, this first adventure introduces the mysterious Great Don Realo, a magician.
Nothing much is going on, just Q trying out her disguises, when the two learn there are going to be two special occasions at school – a magician, Don Realo, and a field trip to the art museum to see the Mola Lisa. The two are enjoying discussing Ray’s magic tricks and the unexpected excitement when things get a little too exciting—the lights go out, there’s a flash of fire, and the Mola Lisa disappears! Can Q and Ray use their disguises, magic tricks, and detective skills to find the thief and get the Mola Lisa back?
Fun facts about the real Leonardo da Vinci are included in the back and there are plenty of art clues for adults (and kids) to catch, like Ms. Easel’s art-inspired dresses (one is a collage of soup cans, another clearly inspired by Mondrian) and the references to the real theft of the Mona Lisa. Shaskan’s clear panels and sharp style will help younger readers follow the clues and the action while they try to solve the crime. The art is big, bright, and bold, a good fit both for younger readers and for the larger picture-book format Lerner often uses in their Graphic Universe titles. Something I’ve previously seen in his picture books is that Shaskan has a great use of white space. He divides up the panels and action, alternating between conversations about the clues, background pictures, and the movement of characters as they hunt down the clues—and the thief!
Despite all the protagonists being animals, they still manage to include plenty of diversity. Ray, a rat, is racially coded with dark skin and tightly curled hair. Officer Rocco is a female raccoon, and Jimmy (a rabbit) uses his nose to sniff out the detectives’ identity and his memory to help them solve their crime, while his visual disability is shown in the receipt he pulls up with an extra line of text in braille, a cane, and dark glasses.
Young readers who like mysteries will be eager to pore over the pages and follow each clue to the conclusion. Teachers will also find many uses for this new series in the classroom, from practicing logical thinking and observation skills to tying in to art curriculum. This new series is sure to fly off the shelves in both libraries and classrooms.
Q & Ray: The Missing Mola Lisa: Case #1
by Trisha Speed Shaskan
Art by Stephen Shaskan
ISBN: 9781512454147
Lerner Graphic Universe, 2017
Publisher Age Rating:
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