Zeb and Bel: A Case of Bird Problems

Gr 2-6–Bel the black cat is a detective. With her brother, Zeb the brown dog, she sets out to investigate the case of a missing neighborhood parakeet. The mystery takes the pair on a journey through their apartment building and across the city as they interact with and interrogate a quirky cast of human and animal characters. The human characters are illustrated with diverse skin colors and hair textures; Zeb and Bel’s owner, ­Josephine, has two moms. This graphic novel includes clues in the text and images to help readers solve the mystery. Unique back matter panels will send readers back through the book to find hints they may have missed on their first readings. There are also tutorials on how to draw Zeb and Bel. Elliot’s cartoon art style is a strong fit for this non-scary animal mystery. The content of the story—animals, magic shows, simple detective stories—is aligned to second and third-grade interests, but the more complex text features like running jokes, flashbacks, ­distinct character voices, and vocabulary may make this book more accessible for middle graders. ­