Review
Agatha Girl of Mystery: The Kenyan Expedition
Region: Mediterranean, Italy
Author: Sir Steve Stevenson
Original Language: Italian
Translator: Siobhan Tracey
Illustrator: Stefano Turconi
Genre: Mystery and Thriller
Descriptors: Africa; detectives; expedition; giraffe; investigation; safari; trader; tribe
Age: 8-12 years old
Agatha Mistery and her cousin Dash Mistery are a pair of detectives who get called into solving mysterious situations all over the world. They also work alongside their butler, Chandler, and their adorable, yet fierce, cat named Watson. This team gets called into the most perplexing of situations and they use their quick wit and investigative skills to evade danger and solve their cases. Agatha has an impeccable memory which comes in handy when the team gets into a pinch since she can remember facts which give them clues solving the mystery. In The Kenyan Expedition, Agatha and the team are presented with a missing white giraffe deep in the Savannah desert, which holds great importance to the Masai tribe because of the desert’s rare species. Detective call upon the expertise of their third cousin, a Safari guide in Kenya, who can help them navigate through the desert. It becomes apparent that the giraffe has not just gone missing but has been stolen by malicious traders who are working for greedy royalty! Sir Steven Stevenson is a surname for the Italian author Mario Pasqualotto. Mario Pasqualotto has written many kids books, including the Agatha Girl of Mystery series which has been translated into multiple languages. One aspect to note in The Kenyan Expedition is that when the team arrives by airplane in Kenya, it is mentioned multiple times how impoverished the people are. While poverty is an issue in Kenya, it is important to recognize and discuss that not every person living in Kenya is living in poverty and that there is a very vibrant culture in Kenya.
More About This Book
Reviewed: Print book by Grosset & Dunlap (2015). ISBN 978044848796.
Notes: https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/authors/274034/steve-stevenson/
Reviewed by Laney Jones