Lost in the Amazon

School Library Journal

Gr 2-4-- That intrepid ducktective Miss Mallard is back with another rousing whodunnit. While visiting Brazil, she attends a press luncheon for her old friend Dr. Eiderstein, the great European scientist, who unveils his newest discovery: Jungle-Nu, a liquid he hopes will help save the rain forests. A band of samba dancers rush in and the scientist and the vial of Jungle-Nu disappear in the resulting confusion, and it's Miss Mallard to the rescue. This accessible, unpretentious romp pokes gentle fun at all the familiar conventions of the mystery genre. Printed in large type, the story can be handled by newly independent readers. Accompanying each page of text is a lively, full-page, trademark Quackenbush watercolor and pen-and-ink cartoon. Lush greens and reds dominate the Amazonian landscapes, which seem more fully realized than the duck characters who often lack expression and definition. The illustrations lack a specific focus, but that won't matter to transitional readers eager to read this latest of Miss Mallard's adventures. --Denise Anton Wright, Library Book Selection Service, Inc., Bloomington, IL