Mr. Beagle and the Georgestown Mystery

Even though Mr. Beagle isn't searching for a new mystery to solve when he goes to see his cousin Georgie in Georgestown, one emerges anyhow. Books are missing in the neighbourhood. A strange thief is emptying people’s bookshelves and taking away, not just any books, but beloved storybooks! The entire town feels sad. Without the storybooks, they not only lose books to read, but they also cannot have cuddly family storytime. With the natural talent of solving mysteries, and the help of a keen nose and sharp eyes, Mr. Beagle is determined to find some answers.

Following up on her highly acclaimed picture book, Mr. Beagle Goes to Rabbittown, author/illustrator Lori Doody once again brings to readers a joyful story accompanied by bright, modern illustrations. The colours Doody chooses to use in the book are concrete and vivid. The big blocks of vibrant colours that are used on the buildings and walls in the background not only invite readers to walk into a small town that is full of lightness and joy, but they also set a lighthearted mood to the story.

Mr. Beagle and the Georgestown Mystery is a love letter to all of us, adults and children, who enjoy stories and believe in books. The reader can easily resonate with “book thief” as we all have that longing for a good story, and we all recognize that excitement when a story is so interesting that stopping reading seems impossible.

Doody also masterly weaves a couple of subthemes into the main storyline. One that captured my attention was that, when Mr. Beagle found out that “the cat burglar was a fox”, he remembered “that you should never judge a book by its cover”. Oh, what a clever way to deliver the old, yet golden, message in the middle of a book-centred story! Another subtheme is the importance of community libraries. When Mr. Beagle and the residents at Georgestown figure out the reason behind the fox’s book-stealing behaviour, instead of blaming the fox, they soon realize that a library is what the town really needs. And no surprise, the Georgestown Library becomes everyone’s favourite place to hang out, read, and make friends.

I know this book will become a hit among young readers! When I shared Mr. Beagle and the Georgestown Mystery with my seven-year-old daughter at storytime before bed (as folks at Georgestown would do), we were wondering and smiling as the story went on. And the discussion around the book continued for days! This book will make a lovely addition to families who enjoy storytime and a bit of mystery. Of course, it’ll also make Mr. Beagle very happy to see the book in community places such as schools and libraries!