A while back, I found a Simon and Chester book. I don’t remember what number in the series it was, but I just found volume one, Simon
and Chester V01 Super Detectives. And they started as cute as they were in that first book I read. Now, I am not saying BEST BOOKS EVER, but Cale Atkinson does a cute story that has a not-so-spooky take on things. And this time the detective mystery story is tackled. Even though Simon and Cheseter are a living boy (Chester) and a ghost (Simon), they have a lively time together, especially when they are having an adventure.
Things are simple, one day one is bored, the other trying to write a mystery novel and the grandmother is going out with a friend. Nothing either wants to do appeals to the other, until they realize that they have a real life mystery on their hands. How did the pug dog get into the house? Wonderful puns, clever nods to the deceive story (and Sherlock Holmes and Watson in particular) and the buddy novel.
The art is simple, not overly detailed and the colors work to fit the tone of things, which is goofy, a bit farcical and for the adult read a bit cute. But of course for the child reader (aged 6 and up, or being read to), it is a spooky good time. And Atkinson has a signature style you can find in most of their work, even the picture book Rock Stars Don’t Nap by Jason Perkins. This is a sweet book about a young boy named Jimmy who from the day he was born, he was born to rock. And roll. And not nap. The puns of song titles are clever.
While the series Simon and Chester is available, I read via an online reader copy. And I read Rock Stars online as well, but it is not due until November 2024.
