Nate the Great and the Star-Spangled Parrot by Andrew Sharmat, illustrated by Olga and Aleksey Ivanov

Nate the Great and the Star-Spangled Parrot by Andrew Sharmat illustrated by Olga and Aleksey Ivanov
Publisher:  Delacorte Press
Format:   Hardcover
Number of pages:  64

Source:  Blue Slip Media
Publishing: June 11th, 2024

Opening Line:  "I, Nate the Great, am a detective."  

The first Nate the Great book authored by Marjorie Weinman Sharmat, and illustrated by Marc Simont, published on January 1st, 1972.  Since its inception, over thirty-one books have been written.  Many of the newer books were written by the author's sons, Craig and Andrew Sharmat , as well as her husband Mitchell.  My child and I have always cherished this young detective, and I'm delighted that the books continue to be published.

While on a walk in Deering Oaks Park, the young detective Nate the Great and his trusty dog, Sludge, meet Pip, who is searching for his missing Parrot, Prattles.   Pip spent the day playing in the park with Prattles and Penelope, a drone that Pip purchased as a friend for Prattles, which he adorned with feathers, wings, claws and a beak to resemble a parrot.  It seems that while they were playing, Anne's dog Fang appeared and frightened them, causing the parrots to fly away.  Now, Nate the Great is on the case interviewing Pip, searching the neighborhood, and sniffing out clues with Sludge.  Can Nate find Pip's parrots in time for them to sing "The Star-Spangled Banner" at the Independence Day picnic? 

The Nate the Great series is just as memorable as when I read it with my child.  There's something comforting and familiar in these opening lines, "I, Nate the Great, am a detective."   I love how the story structure has remained consistent after all of these years.  Nate understands the importance of starting his day off with what he refers to as "a good breakfast", which usually features pancakes and a bone for Sludge.  He wears his "detective suit" which includes a long jacket and a checkered hat, and he never forgets to leave a note for his mother before leaving the house.  His circle of friends still consists of Anne and her dog Fang, and Rosamond with her black cats.  

This series is a delightful choice for early elementary students, offering an excellent introduction to mysteries through the gathering of clues, investigating suspects, and using those logical reasoning and deduction skills to solve the case.  I'd recommend this to young readers who are just beginning to explore chapter books.

**A huge thank you to Blue Slip Media for the hardcover copy which will be donated to my local Little Free Library**