I read this book because I attended a conference where Jarrett Krosoczka told us how he works and why he makes certain choices. He is originally and artist and illustrator, known for his "Lunch Lady" comic books. Before starting to write, Krosoczka draws pictures of his characters. He liked the funny appearance of the platypus, so it became an animal story. He intended the story to be something between a comic strip and a novel, so the pictures are almost just as important as the story.

I read the book with that in mind. The mainly yellow and purple cover picture with the Kalamazoo City skyline at twilight and the two platypus detectives ready for action stands out immediately. On the flyleaf is a sinister picture of the seemingly deserted docks. If you look closely you see an object with a fish on it. These two pictures together tell the reader very clearly what to expect from the story. And the author follows through on the promise made through these first two illustrations.

For adults the mystery story follows an old and tried pattern, but for elementary school children this is new. The fact that the characters are animals makes the story "hard boiled" on a kid level. I find that in the school library where I work this book appeals to a wide age range, even our seventh and eighth graders enjoy the humor of the story and the illustrations. They recognize themselves in the kids at Kal East.

In the process Krosoczka touches on a lot of issues we grown ups are concerned about: large corporations taking over all aspects of human life and leisure, corruption, poverty, the quality of police work, teenage behavior, a minor person being the fall guy for a more powerful one, etc. Maybe 3rd and 4th graders do not catch on to all of this directly, but the older kids do. This book does not have the idealized environment that a lot of books for children have. It is a caricature of real life in the city and a social commentary.


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Young Reader Reaction: Our daughter laughed and laughed, and donned her best New York accent when we read this. We had a galley so some of the art was missing, and that frustrated her; but all in all, we raced through this book because she didn't want to stop reading.

Adult Reader Reaction: Platypus or not, this is a fun, funny story. It is somewhat predictable (you know things will turn out okay in the end), but that doesn't mean that you always know what's going to happen next. Let's just say we were happy to keep reading and not have to put it up for the night.

Pros: Readers of all ages will enjoy this detective novel and its great characters and solid mystery.

To read our full review, go to The Reading Tub®.

I suppose I should preface this review by admitting that I adore all of Jarrett J. Krosoczka's books and I recommend his amazing TED Talk to people all the time. Simply put, I respect him because his books are fun, he seems like a very engaged, thoughtful guy, and, most importantly, the kids at my library can't get enough of his Lunch Lady graphic novel series! All that said, I obviously picked up his newest offering Platypus Police Squad: The Frog Who Croaked with high expectations, and, just as I'd hoped, I feel he's written another novel middle grade readers are sure to love!

This first installment in the Platypus Police Squad follows the fresh faced rookie Rick Zengo, newest addition to the Platypus Police Squad, and his partner, O'Malley, an experience detective, as they attempt to solve a case involving a missing schoolteacher and the illegal fish trade. Complications arise when the clues lead Zengo and O'Malley to billionaire businessman - and potential mobster - Frank Pandini Jr.

A play on the partner cop trope, but for a younger set, The Frog Who Croaked is in many ways familiar while simultaneously unique with its animal characters that allow for a silly and fresh take on the jokes one expects in such a formula. Coupled with the intermittent illustrations, Krosoczka's novel has a definite charm and appeal.

I'll definitely be adding The Frog Who Croaked to my library collection and recommending it to readers of the Lunch Lady series. As always, I look forward to seeing what Krosoczka offers his readers next! ( )

I really, really wanted this book to work because, you know, PLATYPUSES. But I just couldn't get into it.

So, Zengo is a new detective, determined to live up to the record of his heroic grandfather, killed taking down a panda gangster. He's also suspicious of said Panda's son. Everyone else seems to think Frank Pandini Jr. is a great benefactor, but Zengo isn't so sure. He gets paired with O'Malley, a tough old-timer who's maybe been around just a little too long. There's a stink of illegal fish all over town and mysterious disappearances. Zengo is enthusiastic and doesn't think much of O'Malley, but his inexperience lands him and his partner in the doghouse - or rather, the crossing-guard house; they're both demoted. It takes a combination of both their skills to break the illegal fish ring although in the end Pandini gets away.

The whole story is kind of a parody of the buddy cop trope. The enthusiastic rookie who doesn't really know what he's getting into, the cynical old cop who's seen it all and lost some of his edge. There's a kid who gets in over his head, illegal substances flooding the city, and even the sinister gangster behind it all. Of course, in this story the cops are platypuses, armed with boomerangs, the illegal drugs are fish, and the gangster is a panda bear.

Verdict: It's hard for me to translate the tough cops and dark, gritty city streets of the original into the lighter feel of a kid's book. It's just too...silly. I can see kids liking the funny aspects of the story, but only younger kids and at over 200 pages this will be too long for most younger readers. Of course, I could be wrong on this. I'm not getting a really good feel for kid appeal on this one so...feel free to draw your own conclusions. I already ordered it (b/c PLATYPUSES) and I'll booktalk it and see how it goes over the summer. I'll have to trust Krosoczka's proven track record of kid appeal on this one.

ISBN: 9780062071651; Published May 7, 2013 by Walden Pond Press/HarperCollins; ARC provided by publisher at ALA Midwinter 2013; Purchased for the library