Ace Lacewing: Bug Detective
Author: Biedrzycki, David
Illustrator: Biedrzycki, David
Reading Level: Grade 1-4
When Queenie Bee goes missing, Ace Lacewing is hot on the honey trail. With his trusty sidekick, Sergeant Zito the Mosquito, Ace combs Motham City for clues. But the suspects are piling up, including Motham enemy number one, Al the Drone. Will Ace find Queenie Bee before it's too late? Moody illustrations capture the feel of film noir.
Kirkus Reviews - June 30, 2005 His bright yellow trench coat lighting up the tenebrous mean streets of Motham City, crack gumshoe Ace Lacewing swoops into action when Hive Rise Honey Company's Queenie Bee goes missing. Could the culprit be Smooch the Assassin Bug? Unsavory honey magnate Al the Drone? With help from police sergeant Zito the Mosquito and considerably more from blue-winged bombshell Xerces Blue, Ace proceeds to find out--though not before a visit to the deadly Beetle Zoo and some close encounters with praying mantis thugs nearly put Lacewing's lights out for good. Biedrzycki depicts his chitinous crew in high-gloss digital glam, strews puns and sight gags with abandon and finally sends his hardboiled hero off for a well-earned, post-dénouement platter of aphids á la mode. Fans of Doug Cushman's Mystery at the club Sandwich (2004) and similar capers will happily sink their mandibles into this buggy brouhaha. School Library Journal - August 31, 2005 Motham City is abuzz with the kidnapping of Queenie Bee, and Ace Lacewing, the Sam Spade of insects, is on the case. His motto is, "Bad bugs are my business." Lacewing follows the trail of honey with the help of his gal, Doctor Xerces Blue, and Sergeant Zito, a mosquito. A motley (and sometimes molting) assortment of suspects is questioned. Their character traits are based on facts: "The roaches said of course they ran from the scene of the crime--it was their nature to scatter when the lights go on." Puns and wordplay abound: "I've known him ever since we were pupae at the same school"; "The full moon hung in the sky like a large compound eye..." The digitally enhanced illustrations evoke a film noir atmosphere, with moody blue and black backgrounds. The pages are also brimming with humorous details such as glowworm street lamps, "Bug Off" police tape, and "Slow Larvae" road signs. This clever parody of hard-boiled detective stories is sure to tickle readers' thorax.
an Interactive word search included
