The High-Rise Private Eyes #1: The Case of the Missing Monkey

Rylant (Missing May; the Henry and Mudge series) delivers two snappy stories full of humor, action and tenderness in the debut titles of this beginning-reader series. From a high-rise ""deep in the heart of a big city,"" unlikely animal pals Bunny Brown and Jack Jones run their busy detective agency, The High-Rise Private Eyes. Their first case requires a stakeout at the Grill Next Door diner, where they observe the regular patrons (one of whom absconded with the cook's prized possession) and enjoy pancakes. Case number two finds the super sleuths figuring out why a cat would ""borrow"" a pair of binoculars from their neighbor. Though readers may not always follow Bunny's case-solving logic, they will no doubt enjoy the quirky ways Bunny and Jack track down clues and unravel a mystery. Rylant employs lots of rapid-fire, sometimes argumentative exchanges between the friends, demonstrating how different styles and personalities can complement each other. With his plentiful gouache, acrylic and pencil illustrations, Karas adds comical touches of his own, dressing Bunny and Jack in smart outfits appropriate to each situation, and giving Bunny perky, pursed, red lips. Case closed: these books provide plenty of easy-reading fun. Ages 6-up. (Aug.)