The Frog Who Croaked

March 18, 2013
Krosoczka’s considerable fan base will embrace his continuing evolution from picture books and the comics-style Lunch Lady series to his first chapter book, a police procedural that shares the same affable goofiness of his earlier work. Rick Zengo is a rookie on the Platypus Police Squad, paired with grizzled veteran Corey O’Malley (Kalamazoo City’s residents are a melting pot of frogs, turtles, crabs, kangaroos, foxes, and one powerful, possibly corrupt, panda). The two are assigned to investigate some fishy business at the docks, which seems linked to the disappearance of a popular high school teacher. Krosoczka revels in detective clichés (especially hardboiled dialogue) but adds his own charming, G-rated details: the cops use boomerangs not bullets, the local nightclub serves a mean root beer float, and the contraband that’s corrupting teens is... synthetic fish. There’s also a frisson of socioeconomic tension—poorer kids buy fake fish so they’ll be as cool as the kids whose parents can afford “top-shelf seafood”—giving this gentle mystery a little intellectual heft to go with the chuckles. Final illustrations not seen by PW. Ages 8–12. Agent: Rebecca Sherman, Writers House.

April 1, 2013
Who's flooding Kalamazoo City with synthetic fish? The Platypus Police Squad is on the case! Platypus Rick Zengo is ready for his first day as a detective on the Platypus Police Squad. He dreams of living up to the reputation of his grandfather, who helped rid the city of crime boss Frank Pandini Sr. Partnered with stodgy, slow Detective O'Malley, Zengo doesn't think he has a chance until their first case, the disappearance of teacher William Hopkins, looks to involve dangerous synthetic fish and possibly Kalamazoo City's new savior, businessman Frank Pandini Jr. Son of the former crime kingpin, he says he's working to undo the damage his father did. Zengo's impulsive actions land the duo on safety-patrol duty, but a break in the case might be the key to success! Making his chapter-book debut with this series kick-off, Krosoczka, known for his foolish and fun picture books and the goofy Lunch Lady graphic novels, turns out a surprisingly dull two-joke mystery. Cop platypuses: hysterical! Synthetic fish: funnier than fart jokes! It's a cop-show-rerun plot full of cliched characters wearing fur and tails. Occasional black-and-white illustrations (final art not seen) might do a bit to liven things up, but the tale's got the zip of a broken boomerang. Juvenile fans of Dragnet or Law & Order: SVU might look forward to Book 2; few others will. (Mystery. 8-12)

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June 1, 2013

Gr 3-6-Followers of Krosoczka's "Lunch Lady" series (Knopf) will be delighted to discover the author's foray into the realm of chapter books. This CSI-style mystery revolves around two platypus police officers. When rookie detective Rick Zengo is teamed up with veteran Corey O'Malley, the relationship is off to a rocky start. The two are assigned to investigate a missing local teacher and an illegal fish trade, and all signs point to the docks. Early clues indicate Frank Pandini, Jr.'s businesses, but Pandini is supposedly an up-and-up businessman (panda) trying to improve his family's reputation. Exuberant Zengo wants to make a name for himself on the Platypus Police Squad and not follow in his legendary grandfather's shadow, but his inexperience threatens the investigation. Details such as the cops using boomerangs to capture the bad guys and the local hangout serving root-beer floats make the mystery delicious fun. Burgeoning with detective cliches, affable characters, and lots of cartoon art, the book will be popular with Krosoczka's fans and amateur sleuths not ready for a darker thriller.-Michele Shaw, Quail Run Elementary School, San Ramon, CA

Copyright 2013 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

July 1, 2013
A missing teacher, synthetic fish, and a history of organized crime culminate in a mystery for rookie Rick Zengo and his cantankerous partner on the Kalamazoo City Platypus Police Squad. With juvenile twists such as the duck-billed cops using boomerangs instead of guns, detective-story clichis and tropes abound in this lighthearted whodunit made even more kid-friendly by the black-and-white cartoons sprinkled throughout.

(Copyright 2013 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)