Ramon Fellini: The Dog Detective, by Guilherme Karsten, (Feb. 2025, Eerdmans Books for Young Readers), $18.99, ISBN: 9780802856364
Ages 4-8
CRASH! A boy’s fish bowl is attacked! As soon as the boy gets his fish safely into a temporary bowl, a visitor appears: “Ramon Fellini, the Dog Detective, at your service”. Readers will be as confused as the boy, because Ramon looks suspiciously like a cat. But Ramon is a smooth talker, and easily talks his way into the gullible boy’s house, where he proceeds to ask strange questions, like “Are there any more fish in this house?”; he’s got some strange investigative methods, too: what kind of detective licks the fish’s shelter to discover clues? Readers will be shrieking at the boy, who really should be more critical of Ramon’s methods. A darkly funny mystery that readers who enjoyed Jon Klassen’s This is Not My Hat and I Want My Hat Back, Ramon Fellini: Dog Detective is also a great way to introduce readers to critical questioning and observation. Digital illustrations carry an amusing noir feel, with nighttime lighting and an expressive, distressed main character. Ramon’s facial expressions and body language telegraph his ulterior motives, making it easy for readers to figure out what he’s really up to. A good purchase for collections.
Mom Read It 