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Summary
Summary
Meet the ace detective Captain Coconut, whose great brain can solve any mystery, large or small. In The Case of the Missing Bananas, Captain Coconut finds himself on a slippery trail of peels and numbers. A detective tale that grips the reader's attention with its innovative illustrations and humorous raveling and unraveling of clues and numbers! This is the first book in the Captain Coconut series.
Author Notes
Anushka Ravishankar is one of India's most celebrated children's authors, and her witty and jubilant tales are internationally acclaimed and widely translated. Anushka has been dubbed "India's Dr. Seuss," and has now authored over 18 books and traveled widely performing from her stories. She lives in Delhi. Priya Sundram is a London based illustrator who graduated from the Royal College of Art. She is currently working on several forthcoming children's book with Tara Books. She has also been involved with a number of children's workshops including at the V&A's Museum of Childhood.
Reviews (3)
School Library Journal Review
Gr 3-5-Captain Coconut has a special key that can open any lock; however, he has installed a special lock that can resist that key. Satisfied at being one step ahead of himself, Captain Coconut breaks down his own office door. Thus begins a wacky, subtly hilarious adventure with the paunchy, pleasant-faced detective, a man so brilliant that "whenever a detective got a sudden idea, it was called `doing a Coconut.'" Cue interlude with montage and song lyrics to rival any James Bond theme. Set in an unnamed city in India, this first book in a planned series finds Captain Coconut answering a call from the sobbing Mrs. Y, who is missing four bananas. Can the man with the "brilliant brain" and "memory of an elephant" use his math skills and powers of deduction to identify the thief? Reminiscent of a classic Sesame Street animated short, Ravishankar's first foray into chapters is an understated, quirky delight. Readers will love guessing the answers before the bumbling adults in the story, and the brief text and large, full-color pictures will engage those who are ready to try short chapters on their own. Sundram's boldly colored, mixed-media illustrations look modern, but give a nod to classical Indian art-Captain Coconut often strikes the pose of a many-armed Hindu god-while idiosyncracies like red knee socks and a gaping button-up shirt keep the not-quite 007 endearing and friendly. Some mild toilet humor may jar adults but will only make kids chuckle. VERDICT A goofy, fun pick for confident new readers who like their humor subtle and appreciate a madcap caper with a dance sequence (or three).-Amy Martin, Oakland Public Library, CA © Copyright 2014. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Publisher's Weekly Review
With his substantial mustache, turban, and idea-generating "brainwaves," Captain Coconut is on the case when four of Mrs. Y's bananas disappear. Moderately competent yet supremely confident, Coconut is more Clousseau than Poirot, and the math-driven mystery that unfolds in this graphic novel-style chapter book features drily funny narration-"Captain Coconut said nothing. He just tapped his hard head (which contained his brilliant brain)"-a fair amount of addition and subtraction, and a touch of scatological humor. (With three musical interludes that sing Captain Coconut's praises, the mystery almost feels like a Bollywood musical writ small.) Sundram's digital collages strike a modern note while playing up the story's comedy, blending motifs of bananas, brains, and puzzle pieces with photographic elements and intricately patterned textiles. A charmingly hapless sleuth, an enticing Indian setting, and fresh graphics worth framing-what more could you ask for? Ages 8-up. (June) © Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.
Kirkus Review
Part clever Sherlock Holmes, part bumbling Maxwell Smart, the turbaned Capt. Coconut is a new detective on the scene. He sets out to solve a case involving the three members of an Indian household: Mrs. Y, her sister, and her nephew, Gilli. Mrs. Y bought 14 bananas, but some are missing. She can account for fourthey were eatenbut only six can still be found. After using his calculator to perform the simple mathematical task involved, the detective quickly realizes how many are gone, but the determined sleuth must still find the perpetrator. References, visual and verbal, to Bollywood musical interludes and vaudeville slapstick (remember banana peels) spice up the action, but the math is not complex enough for readers who have the sophistication to enjoy the dry wit and the unusual collage panels of this short graphic novel. The foolish detective, with his round belly sticking out of his safari suit and his red knee socks matching his red paisley nose, can't open his office door or start his scooter, but of course he does finally solve the mystery. Suffice it to say, an unpleasant stomach ailment provides a clue. Creative readers can provide their own tunes for the three original songs, and the digital collages are filled with zany retro details. Perhaps the captain's next outing will find all its elements in better sync. (Graphic mystery. 7-9) Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
