King & Kayla and the Case of the Unhappy Neighbor - by Dori Hillestad Butler (Hardcover)

About the Book

King the golden retriever struggles to communicate with his human, Kayla, as both try to clear Thor of having trashed Mr. Gary's yard.

Book Synopsis

King & Kayla are back on the case in this laugh-out-loud mystery from the Theodor Seuss Geisel Honor Award-winning series.

Thor is in big trouble. Mr. Gary says he knocked over his trash cans, dug up his garden, and ate some of his vegetables. King and Kayla have to clear Thor's name and find the actual culprit.

Analytical Kayla demonstrates that Thor isn't big enough to knock over heavy trash cans and he doesn't like vegetables. Sensitive King discovers evidence that someone else has been in Mr. Gary's yard--and it's not a dog. Who made Mr. Gary unhappy?

With simple, straightforward language and great verbal and visual humor, the King & Kayla series is perfect for newly independent readers. King and Kayla model excellent problem-solving skills, including working as a team, gathering facts, making lists, and evaluating evidence.

Review Quotes

"Meyers invests all her characters with lots of personality. . . Beginning readers will like the spacious typeset and thought bubbles that clue readers in to King's thinking. This is a great story to help emerging readers strengthen their comprehension skills, and caregivers can easily discuss what young readers already know and what they are discovering along the way to piece together for a final conclusion. . . Entertaining reading for the newest generation of detectives." --Kirkus Reviews

"Meyers's illustrations invite opportunities for the developing reader to investigate alongside King and Kayla, and provide support and intrigue as the case progresses. The text also invites playful read-alouds... This newest addition to the Kayla and King series continues the good work of the sleuthing duo, offering readers an opportunity to test their mystery-solving skills and laugh along the way." --The Horn Book Magazine

About the Author

Dori Hillestad Butler has published magazine stories, educational materials, plays, book reviews, characters for a board game, and over sixty children's books. A two-time Geisel Honor Book winner for King & Kayla and the Case of the Missing Dog Treats and King & Kayla and the Case of the Lost Tooth, she has also been nominated for children's choice awards in nineteen different states and won the 2011 Edgar Award for the best juvenile mystery for Buddy Files: Case of the Lost Boy. She lives in Washington.