ALA Booklist (Tue May 01 00:00:00 CDT 2001)

This fourth title in the appealing series begins on a quiet Sunday. Private eye Bunny Brown is painting a portrait of her restless raccoon partner Jack Jones when their neighbor Mr. Paris, a hippo, stops by with a case. Someone is stealing the green and yellow balloons from the front of his store. The search for the perpetrator brings Bunny and Jack to a local football game, dressed in outrageous fans' outfits, where they find a clever solution to the case. As in the series' previous titles, the story's main attraction is the funny banter and the gentle, humorous friction sparked by Bunny and Jack's polar personalities. But children new to chapter books will also appreciate the mystery's low-key suspense and clever solution, as well as G. Brian Karas' lively pencil-and-paint illustrations.

Horn Book (Wed Aug 01 00:00:00 CDT 2001)

Each new entry in this well-crafted series serves up literary comfort food for novice readers. This time, Bunny and Jack suspect a young, overzealous football fan of stealing green and gold balloons each Friday on his way to the game. They thwart future crimes by writing him the following note, allegedly from Santa Claus: "Please don't take balloons from the toy store, or you know what." Case closed; yay, team.

School Library Journal

Gr 1-2-Bunny Brown, a rabbit, is attempting to paint a portrait of Jack Jones, a raccoon, when the owner of the toy store across the street enlists their help. Mr. Paris is troubled by the repeated theft of the balloons that he keeps tied outside his shop. Private eyes Bunny and Jack diligently follow the trail of clues, which leads them to a school football game. There they find the culprit and tie up loose ends so that everyone is happy and no one gets into trouble. This is a fast-moving introduction to the mystery genre. Emerging readers will be interested in how Bunny and Jack find, interpret, and follow up on clues. They will also get a chuckle from the solution. Karas's acrylic, gouache, and pencil illustrations have a simple, angular quality that suits the book's urban setting. Visible pencil strokes show movement, capturing Bunny's and Jack's exuberant personalities and the plot's swift pace. These characters are not as sweet or as endearing as Rylant's Mr. Putter and Tabby, Henry and Mudge, or Poppleton, but the story is driven more by plot than characters and is a good choice for libraries with a big demand for mysteries.-Devon Gallagher, Grace Day School, Massapequa, NY Copyright 2001 Cahners Business Information.