Hedgehog Whodunit

Gr 1-4–Hitch the detective hedgehog is getting ready for a nap when his sidekick Vinnie, a rat, lets him know a crime was committed in their zoo. The panda is ­missing from his enclosure, and someone has gone around the zoo changing the signs: “Please don’t feed the panda” has become “Please free the panda.” Hitch sets out to solve the case with the humorous, hungry Vinnie. The pair follow clues and interrogate the other animals in the zoo. These conversations with the other animals are witty and filled with puns. Each chapter contains abundant black-and-white illustrations ­correlating to the storyline. Grizzled, grumpy Hitch is complemented by lovable, fun Vinnie who eats absolutely anything. The story, writing, and plot is not always cohesive; some transitions are bumpy. In many scenes, they are discussing the case, then Vinnie is abruptly talking about food he wants to eat and at times eating the evidence.