Picture Book Genres: Mystery

While genres become more of an interest as kids become independent readers, I love the idea of sharing picture books that can also fall into genres as well. And maybe your young readers don’t have a strong opinion about the genres they read, I think exposing them to a wide-variety of genres early, allows kids to learn more about the book world and what they might like. I think it also allows kids to better appreciate just how many options exist! I say the same thing about ensuring kids have a chance to experience both nonfiction text as well as poetry. There is something for every reader, it’s often that kids don’t become readers because they haven’t yet found the book that speaks to them. What if they learned more about the book world at a younger age to better find the right fit?

That’s a long rant for me to say that over the course of the next month, I’m going to be sharing picture books about different genres. Today’s focus in on mystery books – some of my favorites! So grab your magnifying glass and deerstalker hat and solve the case before it’s too late!

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Picture Book Genres: Mystery

Agent Lion and the Case of the Missing Party by Jacky Davis, illustrated by David Soman

Agent Lion is back, and it’s PARTY TIME!

Petunia’s birthday is today, and she’s got everything a birthday girl needs: An excited smile. The perfect bow. A big party

Wait . . . where is the party?! It was just here a second ago! The balloons, streamers, and guests are all gone!! In a mad dash to find it, Petunia calls the best detective in town, Agent Lion. He runs through the halls, follows clues, and even takes a quick swim—but will Agent Lion find Petunia’s celebration in time?

The Case of the Missing Cake by Eoin McLaughlin

Follow Bear from A to Z as he hunts for a cake thief in this alphabet book crossed with a whodunit.There has been a terrible crime, Bear tells us. Someone has STOLEN a delicious chocolate cake! Bear sets off to find the culprit, questioning characters and compiling clues from A to Z.

Detective Dog by Julia Donaldson, illustrated by Sara Ogilvie

There once was a dog with a keen sense of smell.
She was known far and wide as Detective Dog Nell.

Peter’s dog Nell has an amazing sense of smell. Her ever-sniffing nose is always hard at work solving mysteries and finding all Peter’s lost toys. But Nell has other talents too . . .

When she’s not cracking cases, Nell goes to school with Peter and listens to the children read. Books about dinosaurs, books about space and even books about dogs – Nell loves them all! But one day Peter and Nell arrive at school to find all the books have disappeared! Who could have taken them, and why? Luckily, Detective Dog Nell, with help from the whole class, is ready to sniff out the thief!

Hornswoggled! by Josh Crute, illustrated by Jenn Harney

Deer wakes up to find one of his antlers is missing…and there’s a tennis racket in its place? One by one his friends also uncover that their important items from glasses to lucky boots have been swapped with silly, useless replacements like donuts and swim flippers. They’ve been hornswoggled! (Hornswoggled means tricked.) It’s pure poppycock! (Poppycock means nonsense.)

Once they gather together to find out what happened, will they find the true thief or be outfoxed? Laugh along with a hilarious cast of animal characters searching for the mysterious trickster in this humorous whodunit bursting with exciting, wacky words that kids will love.

How to Catch a Clover Thief by Elise Parsley

All Roy the wild boar wants is to enjoy his precious patch of delicious clover . . . but every time he turns around, his tasty treasure seems to be shrinking! Who’s stealing his favorite meal from right under his snout? To make the tedious job of standing guard by the clover patch day and night more bearable, Roy’s neighbor Jarvis the gopher helps by lending his never-ending stash of fascinating books that absorb Roy’s attention—as the patch disappears bit by bit. All of that reading makes for a very smart boar, though . . . and in a surprise table-turning twist at the end, Roy might just get the better of that sneaky clover thief!

My Pet Feet by Josh Funk, illustrated by Billy Young

A little girl wakes up one day to find that R, a vital piece of the alphabet, has vanished! Suddenly, she has pet feet instead of a ferret. Flocks of cows replace crows flying in the sky. Giant shoes (not shores!) live on the sandy beaches of her town.

What could have happened to the eighteenth letter of the alphabet? Did it get lost—or stolen? One way or another, the town needs to be saved!

Once Upon a Slime by Andy Maxwell, illustrated by Samantha Cotterill

Once upon a time–gloooooooorp! Ew, gross! Who slimed Goldilocks? Was it the Three Bears, exacting revenge? Not a chance! They’re next on the list of fairy-tale sliming victims! Red Riding Hood, the Wolf, Rapunzel, the Three Pigs…they’re all under attack. Who could be the mastermind behind this icky, sticky plan?

Young detectives can look for clues and solve the mystery in this picture book whodunnit that’s positively oozing with wit and charm, perfect for fans of Patrick McDonnell’s A Perfectly Messed-Up Story.

Seven Blind Mice by Ed Young

“It’s a snake,” says Green Mouse.
“It’s a fan!” cries Orange Mouse.
“It’s a spear,” proclaims Yellow Mouse.

One by one, the six blind mice investigate the strange Something by the pond. And one by one, they come back with a different theory. It’s only when the seventh mouse goes out—and explores the complete Something—that the mice see the whole truth.

A lesson in colors, numbers, the days of the week and most important, knowledge, this exquisitely illustrated book has stood the test of time and continues to entertain and teach. Based on a classic Indian tale, Ed Young’s beautifully rendered version is a treasure to enjoy again and again.

Stella and the Mystery of the Missing Tooth by Clothilde Ewing, illustrated by Lynn Gaines

Stella, her bestie Roger, and her second-best friend Owen are excited to go see Sue the T-rex at the museum, but when Owen has to leave early because he lost a tooth, Stella becomes determined to find it for him. How did he manage to lose a tooth? Was it stolen? Could the tooth fairy be responsible? Could Owen be…a dinosaur boy?

Nothing will keep Stella from her investigation, even if she and Roger fear their own teeth could be stolen too. But the more Stella investigates, the more she realizes that perhaps this case is not as complicated as she thought.