Chickadee: Criminal MasterMind - by Monica Silvie (Hardcover)

About the Book

"Watch out on your next walk through the forest, because you just might encounter a real rapscallion in the form of a tiny bird! In this hilarious tale, Chickadee recounts how he went from a normal bird 'childhood' to a daring life of crime. One cold, snowy morning, shivering and hungry, he discovers a vault of gold -- and steals from it! His natural colouring resembling a mask helps him blend in as he makes his rounds of the forest. It's an exciting life, with hawks to fend off and treasure to hide all over the forest... but is it as glamorous as it appears? It can get pretty lonely being a fearsome marauder, and it might be nice to have a friend. When Chickadee is spotted one day, he learns that stealing gold may be fun, but making friends is easier than he thinks."--

Book Synopsis

A flying masked bandit (code name: Chickadee) discovers he isn't quite who he thinks he is in this fresh and delightful tale about discovering one's true nature.

Meet Chickadee. Criminal. Rapscallion. All-around bad seed. Sure, he started out obeying the rules, following his parents' advice about finding things to eat and staying away from houses. But then . . . winter arrives. And it's so much harder to find food in winter! So when Chickadee spies a "vault" full of "gold" near a house by the park (Wait, wasn't there something to remember about houses?), he cleverly devises a plan to snatch the "vault full of treasure" without getting caught! He is the King of Thieves! Only, hmm, the humans near the vault seem to want him to visit. Maybe Chickadee's not a criminal after all?

Monica Silvie's fun first-person storytelling will have readers falling in love with this cheeky and enormously appealing bird and his endearingly misinformed self-perception. Chickadee's growing understanding that he's not actually a criminal, and that what he really wants is a friend, adds a lovely poignancy to the humor. Elina Ellis's charming, hilarious illustrations bring the adorable Chickadee to life; the way he looks directly at readers with wide-eyed sincerity while he speaks to them is particularly effective. A spread at the back contains facts about black-capped chickadees -- illustrated with comments from Chickadee himself -- along with further reading and sources, making this both a terrific picture book read-aloud and a great supplement to life science lessons on characteristics and habitats of animals. With such a seamless blend of entertainment and information, learning has never been so much fun!

Review Quotes

... I expect you'll read this book over and over again. There's no crime in that!--The New York Times

... a snappily told picture book, and visually striking, too.--Publishers Weekly

Chickadee: Criminal Mastermind ... is a fine example of edutainment in which young readers are both entertained and informed.--CM Magazine

About the Author

Monica Silvie practiced law for over fifteen years before returning to her earliest passion, writing for children. She has a certificate in illustration from Emily Carr University of Art and Design and lives in Vancouver, British Columbia. Chickadee: Criminal Mastermind is her first book.
Elina Ellis was born in Ukraine and has a master's in children's book illustration from Anglia Ruskin University. She has illustrated several picture books, including Chickadee: Criminal Mastermind and This Is the Path the Wolf Took. Elina loves wildlife, cooking and a good joke. There is no greater reward for her than a smile on the face of her reader. She lives in Cambridge, United Kingdom.