Publisher's Hardcover ©2019 | -- |
Originally published in 1980, this story by acclaimed author Kincaid gets new life in this picture book with lush, glowingly realistic illustrations. Three brown-skinned girls, Pam, Bess, and Sue, are attending a party celebrating the publication of the first Nancy Drew book. Pam dashes up the stairs to get a bird's-eye view of the soiree, and from her perch, she sees something serious, vile, and bilious. Bess sees it, too, but Sue, whose perspective mirrors the reader's point of view, doesn't quite understand what's going on. Cortés beautiful artwork is packed with stunning detail, from the grand architecture of the building to the colorful crowd, and none more so than the three girls, whose facial expressions, postures, and playful outfits are charmingly lifelike. Though some advanced vocabulary and a lack of a tidy resolution (what was that bilious thing?) might narrow the book's appeal, the artwork is gorgeous and the feeling of being a kid who's a little too short to see what's happening will likely resonate with the target audience.
Kirkus ReviewsPam, Bess, and Bess' younger sister, Sue, visit a museum after hours for a celebration of the "publication of the first of the Nancy Drew mystery books" in this picture book based on a story originally published in 1980 in the New Yorker.Although The Mystery of the Old Clock was originally published in 1930, Cortés does not set the story during the Depression: The girls—all three are black—wear modern casual clothing, and one appears to be holding a smartphone. When Pam climbs the stairs for a better vantage point from which to peer at the guests, she points out something shocking. Pam and Bess are aghast at whatever it is, but little sister Sue (and readers) remains clueless. Frustratingly, the pictures depict only their changing expressions over pages and pages and not what they actually see—though the last page might offer a visual hint. The stilted vocabulary seems to date back to Carolyn Keene's characters of that era: "querulous," "milling about," "bilious," and "hypers" (an exclamation), all incongruous with the characters' ages. Worse, one textual descriptor of Bess clashes with her depiction as a girl with dark brown skin: "her face turning first a ghostly white, then a vivid red." For white Bess Marvin, friend of Nancy Drew, this is possible, but blushing would not result in such a color change in a character with skin this dark. The color palette of the illustrations seems as dated as the museum—another reason this book will likely fail to appeal to young readers.Nostalgic Nancy Drew fans will likely deem this experimental picture book a failed homage, and it will certainly disappoint young sleuths in search of a real mystery. (Picture book. 5-8)
Publishers Weekly (Fri Oct 06 00:00:00 CDT 2023)This send-up of the Nancy Drew mysteries by Kincaid (
ALA Booklist (Wed May 01 00:00:00 CDT 2019)
Kirkus Reviews
Publishers Weekly (Fri Oct 06 00:00:00 CDT 2023)
Three girls - Pam, Beth, and Sue - attend a party to celebrate the publication of the first of the Nancy Drew mystery books. There are many distractions at the fancy affair: flower arrangements, partygoers, refreshments, and lots and lots of marble. Suddenly, the oldest girl, Pam, sees what can only be described as something truly... bilious... not good! Beth sees it too. The youngest, Sue, does not, and as usual she has a hard time getting anyone to tell her anything. Party: A Mystery is a beautifully drawn adventure story that promises questions that will grab children, but does not guarantee an answer. The story's language builds and swings between lyrical and snappy - packing a wallop.