What kid doesn’t love the idea of spying? Many a creative child is fascinated by playing spies, pretending to be Nancy Drew, or just listening when they aren’t supposed to. Laura Gehl brings us the ultimate in young spies with Juniper Kai. Only thing is she has missed ALL of the clues in this caper!
Juniper is a lucky little spy child with “Spy-o-scopes, fingerprint powder, and a spectacular collection of wigs.” Her parents always played with her, but they have recently stopped and have been found whispering to each other. Well if they weren’t going to tell Juniper what was going on she doesn’t care, after all, she is a Super Spy!
The descriptive illustrations by Alexandria Neonakis work wonderfully to tell the story as well. The clues are right in front of Juniper, after all, but she doesn’t understand them. This book is also multicultural, but it is never explicitly mentioned. Juniper’s father is Asian and her mother is Latina. I think that was a great choice to include that detail but not discuss it.
This is a super fun book that I can see being great as a read aloud. It also works really well when you are expecting a new baby because (SPOILER ALERT!) Juniper is going to be a sister!
“Harriet the Spy would approve of this sharp-eyed investigator. This will be a read-aloud favorite for little supersleuths, particularly those with junior agents on the way.” —Kirkus Reviews
Laura Gehl is the author of many popular picture books, including One Big Pair of Underwear, illustrated by Tom Lichtenheld; the Peep and Egg series, illustrated by Joyce Wan; and My Pillow Keeps Moving, illustrated by Christopher Weyant. She lives in Maryland, with one husband, four children, and seventeen fake mustaches. Visit Laura online at www.lauragehl.com. Twitter: @AuthorLauraGehl I actually interviewed her in 2015. You can read that interview here.
Alexandria Neonakis grew up in Nova Scotia, Canada, with her huge family. She now lives in California with her husband and their two cats. In addition to illustrating children’s books, she works as a character- concept artist for video games. Her recent children’s books includeSweetest Kulu by Celina Kalluk and This Is MY Room by Jennifer Richard Jacobson. Learn more about her online at www.alexneonakis.com.Twitter: @BeavsInstagram:@alexneonakis
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