The great cake mystery Precious Ramotswe's very first case

Review by Booklist Review

Adult fans of Smith's No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency series will be queuing up to give this prequel of sorts to the children they know. This series starter introduces the author's heroine, Precious Ramotswe, as a young girl solving her first case. Someone has been stealing treats from her friends at school, and suspicion swirls around a chubby boy named Poloko. Encouraged by her father, who has noted Precious' powers of deduction, the sleuth decides to follow her instincts and prove Poloko innocent. The story is simply told Smith has previous experience with children's books with the Akimbo series and it will work well for children new to the mystery genre. Adding to the appeal are McIntosh's wonderful graphic illustrations done in red and black. A map of Botswana and drawings of the flora, fauna, and settings mentioned in the text will give readers a clear picture of Precious' world. HIGH-DEMAND BACKSTORY: Parents who devour the No. 1 Ladies' Dectective Agency books will likely foist this upon plenty of agreeable young readers. Those were international bestsellers; this could well have the same future.--Cruze, Karen Copyright 2010 Booklist

From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.

---

Review by Publisher's Weekly Review

For anyone who has ever wondered about the childhood of the owner of the No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency, McCall Smith's answer is that Precious Ramotswe was a born detective with a knack for knowing when people are making things up. Even as a child, when cakes and other sweets start disappearing from her village school and everyone rushes to blame the fat boy, Precious is skeptical. She's determined to get to the facts of the case and sets a clever trap for the culprit. Adjoa Andoh's narration is clear, crisp, entertaining, and well paced. She also creates distinct and appropriate voices for the young detective's schoolmates, teachers, and loving father. Andoh's rendition of Precious is a pitch-perfect, younger version of the unflappable sleuth so many readers have come to know and love. Listeners both young and old will be delighted by this schoolyard mystery and demand a second listen. Ages 7-10. An Anchor paperback. (Apr.) (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.

(c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved

---

Review by School Library Journal Review

Gr 1-3-Young readers are introduced to Precious Ramotswe, a young sleuth in Botswana, in this prequel to the adult series "The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency" (Pantheon). Trouble occurs when tasty treats disappear in her school. When word gets out, Precious is on the case. Observant readers will find the biggest clue to solving the mystery on the front cover. Primitive in nature and using only red, brown, and black on cream paper, the illustrations are minimal and the characters appear to be adults rather than children. The story is predictable and unlikely to have beginning chapter book readers awaiting Precious's next case.-Janene Corbin, Rosebank Elementary School, Nashville, TN (c) Copyright 2012. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

(c) Copyright Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

---

Review by Horn Book Review

This early chapter book features a young Precious Ramotswe, star of the No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency series for adults. The mystery Precious solves--who is behind the thefts on the school playground?--is audience-appropriate; the prose style is welcoming; the Botswana village setting is evoked clearly. The page design is generous and inviting, with wide margins and plentiful spot illustrations. (c) Copyright 2012. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

(c) Copyright The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

---

Review by Kirkus Book Review

series, get her start? McCall Smith has penned the story of Precious' very first case, taken on when she was just a schoolgirl. Someone has been stealing bread and sweets from the children's lunches and one round boy, Poloko, is accused of the crime. Precious has a knack for people, and she trusts Poloko's story, even when his sticky fingers point to guilt. Filling his story with fully realized secondary characters and a sumptuous Botswanan setting, McCall Smith creates the same warm community in this series that his adult readers appreciate. Readers see Precious' understanding of human nature and powers of observation. The stunning artwork in this chapter book has the look of woodcuts and old-time three-color separation illustration. It extends the story, immersing readers in the village life of Botswana. When a new character is introduced, McIntosh explores either the actual name or its pronunciation in bold red capital letters. A compelling plot and interesting secondary characters, especially classmates who are quick to make unfounded accusations and their teacher, who provides wisdom just when it is needed, will leave readers wanting more. One case where an adaptation from an adult book is as much fun to read as the original. (Mystery. 7-12)]] Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.

Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.

---

Chapter One Have you ever said to yourself, Wouldn't it be nice to be a detective? Most of us will never have the chance to make that dream come true. Detectives, you see, are born that way. Right from the beginning they just know that this is what they want to be. And right from the beginning they show that solving mysteries is something they can do rather well. This is the story about a girl who becomes a detective. Her name is Precious. Precious smiled a lot. She often smiled even when she was not thinking about anything in particular. Nice people smile a lot, and Precious Ramotswe was one of the nicest girls in Botswana. Everyone said so. Botswana was the country she lived in. It was down toward the bottom of Africa. She lived in a wide dry land, which had a lot of amazing things to see. There was the Kalahari Desert, a great stretch of dry grass and thorn trees that went on and on into the distance, farther than any eye can see. Then there was the great river in the north, which flowed the wrong way. It did not flow into the ocean, as rivers usually do, but back into the heart of Africa. When it reached the sands of the Kalahari, it drained away, just like water disappears down the drain of a bath. But most interesting, of course, were the wild animals. There were many of these in Botswana: lions, elephants, leopards, monkeys--the list goes on. Precious had not seen all of these animals, but she had heard about most of them. Her father, a kind man whose name was Obed, often spoke about them, and she loved the tales he told. "Tell me about the time you were nearly eaten by a lion," she would ask. And Obed, who had told her that story perhaps a hundred times before, would tell her again. And it was every bit as exciting each time he told it. "I was a young man then," he began. "How young?" asked Precious. "About eighteen, I think," he said. "I went up north to see my uncle, who lived way out in the country, or the bush as we call it in Africa, very far from everywhere." "Did anybody else live there?" asked Precious. She was always asking questions, which was a sign that she might become a good detective. Do you like to ask questions? Many people who ask lots of questions become detectives, because that is what detectives do. They ask a lot of questions. "It was a very small village," Obed said. "It was just a few huts, really, and a fenced place where they kept the cattle. They had this fence, you see, which protected the cattle from the lions at night." This fence had to be quite strong. A few strands of wire cannot keep lions out. That is hopeless when it comes to lions--they would just knock down such a fence with a single blow of their paw. A proper lion fence has to be made of strong poles, from the trunks of trees. "So there I was," Obed said. "I had gone to spend a few days with my uncle and his family. They were good to me and I liked my cousins. There were six of them--four boys and two girls. We had many adventures together. "I slept in one of the huts with three of the boys. We did not have beds in those days--we had sleeping mats made out of reeds, which we laid out on the floor of the hut. They were nice to sleep on. They were much cooler than a bed and blankets in the hot weather, and easier to store too." Precious was quiet now. This was the part of the story that she liked the best. "And then," her father said, "and then one night I woke up to a strange sound. It was like the sound a large pig will make when it's sniffing about for food, only a little bit quieter." "Did you know what it was?" she asked, holding her breath as she waited for her father to reply. She knew what the answer would be, of course. She had heard the story so many times. But it was always exciting, always enough to keep you sitting on the very edge of your seat. He shook his head. "No, I didn't. And that was why I thought I should go outside and find out." Precious closed her eyes tight. She could hardly bear to hear what was coming. "It was a lion," her father said. "And he was right outside the hut, standing there, looking at me from underneath his great dark mane." Excerpted from The Great Cake Mystery: Precious Ramotswe's Very First Case - A Number 1 Ladies' Detective Agency Book for Young Readers by Alexander McCall Smith All rights reserved by the original copyright owners. Excerpts are provided for display purposes only and may not be reproduced, reprinted or distributed without the written permission of the publisher.

---