Rating: Needs Parent Supervision

Reading Level: Early Elementary, Mid-Elementary

Possible Concerns:

  • A pistol and a baton. The detective has both at his disposal, but is hesitant to bring or use them. They are in a glass case.
  • Over-obsession with food? The detective is quick to turn to snacks. There is a disproportionate amount of pictures of muffins and such in the book.
  • Body Image. Although not pictured this way, the book makes a few remarks about the detective’s chubbiness.
  • Stranger Danger? A little, homeless, nameless female mouse ends up helping the detective and moves in with him. In our family, we talk about how strange grownups don’t need help from kids; you go get an adult to help a strange grownup. He befriends her and names her. She becomes his sidekick.
  • Appropriate boundaries? I don’t know if this is an issue or not but there is the issue of a man living alone with a young, defenseless girl. He certainly takes on a father/mentor role in her life.

Overall, I wasn’t as pleased or interested, but my kids loved it, and none of the concerns above bothered me too much. A conversation may be appropriate about the pistol and why he’s slow to bring it, or about how we don’t help grownups without another trustworthy adult, nor do young girls move in with lonely older men.