This is the first Stuart Gibbs book that I've read & I must say I really enjoyed it. This is a fun romp of a mystery set inside & outside an animal theme park. But it is also a book that is giving kids some serious info about conservation efforts, habitat loss & other threats to the earths wild animals & just some fun animal facts about many of the inhabitants of "FunJungle" Animal Park. The protagonists are well written and likable, the dialogue is fast moving & often witty. I think elementary kids are really going to enjoy this book. ( )

Mixing humor with animal excitement and mystery, this is a fun read until the very last page.

Teddy is having quite the time with the new fish-cannon, which is supposed to be the new way to feed the penguins, when another problem appears. A dog has been murdered, and not just any dog. It's an important dog of an important person. The murderer is said to be lion. When the owner of the dog makes it his quest to have the lion qualified as dangerous and killed, Teddy needs to prove that it wasn't the lions fault. But no case is easy.

This is the first book I've read in the series, but that didn't cause any difficulties in sinking into the characters and the mystery. The author does a tremendous job at grabbing the reader right away. There's a lovely mix of wit, humor and dangerous tension, which makes it impossible to put this book down. Every page hooks, and each situation offers something new—whether mystery wise or simply fun on the humor end of things.

The characters are very easy to connect with and root for. Each interaction was a treat, and just right for the intended age group. There isn't an overfill on character depth, leaving them more with a cartoon feeling, but this works very well in the series and is sure to meet readers the way it should.

This is a fun read and I can only recommend it.

I received a complimentary copy and enjoyed this tale immensely. ( )