Sign in with Facebook
Loading...
The Great Cake Mystery: Precious Ramotswe's Very First Case: A Number 1 Ladies' Detective Agency Book for Young Readers (Precious Ramotswe's Very First Cases #1)
by
Alexander McCall Smith (Goodreads Author)
THE NO. 1 LADIES’ DETECTIVE AGENCY - Young Readers
Fans around the world adore the bestselling No. 1 Ladies’ Detective Agency series, the basis of the HBO TV show, and its proprietor Precious Ramotswe, Botswana’s premier lady detective. In this charming series, Mma Ramotswe navigates her cases and her personal life with wisdom, and good humor—not to mention help from her lo...more
Fans around the world adore the bestselling No. 1 Ladies’ Detective Agency series, the basis of the HBO TV show, and its proprietor Precious Ramotswe, Botswana’s premier lady detective. In this charming series, Mma Ramotswe navigates her cases and her personal life with wisdom, and good humor—not to mention help from her lo...more
Paperback, 96 pages
Published
April 3rd 2012
by Anchor
(first published July 23rd 2010)
Friend Reviews
To see what your friends thought of this book,
please sign up.
This book is not yet featured on Listopia.
Add this book to your favorite list »
Community Reviews
(showing
1-30
of
1,194)
My husband brought this book home for me because I had read all of the Number One Ladies' Detective Agency books. This is a children's book, a "prequel" about Precious Ramotswe as a girl. I thought the idea that she began on her path to detective-hood as a child rather silly. But, OK, I can accept that she had a special destiny. And I thought sometime that the narrative style was a little cutesy, with a tad of talking-down to children. But I loved this book for one of the same reasons I love the...more
This book definitely gets brownie points for being brave enough to try something different.
Alexander McCall Smith is my favourite author and I get excited whenever I hear that he is publishing a new novel. When I heard that this book was being published exclusively in the Scots dialect for the first year of its release I was even more excited. Learning languages is my favourite hobby but even though I grew up and was educated in Scotland it was at a time when Scots had very low status and was re...more
Alexander McCall Smith is my favourite author and I get excited whenever I hear that he is publishing a new novel. When I heard that this book was being published exclusively in the Scots dialect for the first year of its release I was even more excited. Learning languages is my favourite hobby but even though I grew up and was educated in Scotland it was at a time when Scots had very low status and was re...more
How did the founder of the No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency first decide to become a detective? Alexander McCall Smith answers that very question in this sweet prequel to his popular series. Precious Ramotswe, a little girl in Botswana, has an inquisitive mind, full of questions about the world and people around her. She loves to ask her father to tell her stories about his adventures as a young man (especially one very exciting tale about his encounter with a ferocious lion!) When a mystery arise...more
Precious Ramotswe of Gaborone, Botswana, is a fabulous character in Alexander McCall Smith's series, "The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency." These cozy (not violent) mysteries have her solving all sorts of crimes in a gentle fashion as opposed to the murders most U.S. mysteries have as a focus.
This work is subtitled "Precious Ramotswe's Very First Case." It introduces her through a story her father tells about a lion being in their village. Sweets are being stolen from the bags in the hallway. A...more
This work is subtitled "Precious Ramotswe's Very First Case." It introduces her through a story her father tells about a lion being in their village. Sweets are being stolen from the bags in the hallway. A...more
Jul 18, 2012
Betty-Ann
rated it
4 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
mystery,
je-fiction
What a delightful story! Precious lives in Botswana and her father suggested that she should be a detective some day. And she thought, “Why not?” and soon her very first case landed in her lap. At school, someone has been stealing the desserts that the children have brought to eat after lunch. The children think it must be Poloko because he is a rather round boy who loves to eat sweets. However, Precious wants proof before she accuses anyone so she hatches a plan.
This easy chapter book is perfec...more
This easy chapter book is perfec...more
This chapter book takes Precious Ramotswe back to her childhood in a small village in Botswana. There is a mystery at her school--food is missing. Where have the piece of cake and the bread with jam gone. A rather plump boy is blamed, but there is no proof he took anything. Seven year old Precious decides to find out.
The book has wonderful drawings somewhat like woodcuts. There are evocative descriptions of the Botswana landscape and culture but in relatively uncluttered language. The plot is si...more
The book has wonderful drawings somewhat like woodcuts. There are evocative descriptions of the Botswana landscape and culture but in relatively uncluttered language. The plot is si...more
I'm confused. This looks like an early chapter reader for grades 2-3. It reads like an early chapter reader. But the reading level is 5.6 which means the vocabulary is at a 5th grade level. Huh? Typo? I'd be curious what others think about that... Maybe I can get a grade 3 teacher to read it and give his or her opinion. Hmmm.
Meet Precious. And no, it's not Gollum, the horrible hobbit from Tolkien's, Lord of the Rings. But it is Precious from an adult mystery series,The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Ag...more
Meet Precious. And no, it's not Gollum, the horrible hobbit from Tolkien's, Lord of the Rings. But it is Precious from an adult mystery series,The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Ag...more
Apr 17, 2012
Rebecca Reid
rated it
4 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
c-kids-mg-chapter-bks
The Great Cake Mystery introduces young readers to the lovely setting of Botswana and a precocious young girl named Precious who likes to figure things out. Although she thinks it may be many years before she’ll have a mystery to solve, it turns out that someone in her school is eating people’s snacks and she may just be able to figure out who has done it. With her father’s encouragement and her own careful logic, a detective is born in Botswana.
The book is a quick and easy read. McCall Smith sp...more
The book is a quick and easy read. McCall Smith sp...more
Reviewed by Rusty Key Writer: Jordan B. Nielsen
Recommended for: Ages 7 to 10 for independent reading, or 5 and up as a read aloud. There is a message about the dangers of false accusations, but the light tone makes it suitable for younger children. Though the main character is female the book is gender neutral and the detective plot can easily be enjoyed by both boys and girls.
One Word Summary: Precious.
Full disclosure: I read The Great Cake Mystery with a bias. I was a tremendous fan of the H...more
Recommended for: Ages 7 to 10 for independent reading, or 5 and up as a read aloud. There is a message about the dangers of false accusations, but the light tone makes it suitable for younger children. Though the main character is female the book is gender neutral and the detective plot can easily be enjoyed by both boys and girls.
One Word Summary: Precious.
Full disclosure: I read The Great Cake Mystery with a bias. I was a tremendous fan of the H...more
For all the fans of Precious Ramotswe, Botswana’s No. 1 lady detective — and there are legions — and for all the kids who think it would be fun to solve mysteries, “The Great Cake Mystery” delivers a sweet, fun story about how Precious got her start detecting.
There’s a thief stalking the school where Precious is a student — a thief with a sweet tooth. The thief is stealing cakes, bread with jam and other sweet treats from the children’s lunches. The other children focus on a fellow student, assu...more
There’s a thief stalking the school where Precious is a student — a thief with a sweet tooth. The thief is stealing cakes, bread with jam and other sweet treats from the children’s lunches. The other children focus on a fellow student, assu...more
After reading the whole series of the No. 1 Ladies Detective Agency I was intrigued to read the start and children’s version of Precious Ramotswe. This book is beautifully written and follows a simple but effective storyline. It is set in Botswana and explores Precious’ life at the age of 7, living with her father, listening to stories and wanting to help people. Already with a dream set in mind to become a detective, Precious sets out on her first case for her classmates to discover where many...more
I liked this one. I definitely liked it. To clarify things I'll just mention that I have not read the book, No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency, which stars Precious Ramotswe. This children's chapter book is the famous detective's first case. So if I like this one it isn't necessarily because I love the adult mystery series, I may or may not. (I do plan on reading the first book this summer, if all goes to plan.) I do find it tricky as an adult to judge early readers and chapter books because often t...more
I have to start this review by stating I have not read any of Alexander McCall Smith's adult books, and I have only seen a couple of episodes of the TV show based on his "No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency" series.
I really enjoyed this book. It's a very quick read, and definitely appropriate for younger children who have moved beyond short picture books. I liked the young Precious as she sided with the underdog, Poloko, and figured out the mystery of the real thief in the story.
Smith creates a lika...more
I really enjoyed this book. It's a very quick read, and definitely appropriate for younger children who have moved beyond short picture books. I liked the young Precious as she sided with the underdog, Poloko, and figured out the mystery of the real thief in the story.
Smith creates a lika...more
I would happily read Alexander McCall Smith's laundry list, for the delight it would doubtless be...but this is another sweet, funny little story that made me smile as usual. It is a prequel to the No 1 Ladies' Detective Agency series, about Precious Ramotswe as a little girl. It was published first in translation to Scots, to encourage Scottish children (and others) to read in that tongue. What a man, supporting worthwhile things with his talent.
This is exactly what the title says: an absolutely charming story of Precious Ramotswe's first case, her first impulse to be a detective and solve a problem someone brings to her.
Precious is just a school girl, and this very first case concerns who is stealing the special treats the children bring to school, to eat in the school yard after the plain, nutritious lunch provided by the school. These treats are important to the children, and when they start disappearing, they are eager to identify a...more
Precious is just a school girl, and this very first case concerns who is stealing the special treats the children bring to school, to eat in the school yard after the plain, nutritious lunch provided by the school. These treats are important to the children, and when they start disappearing, they are eager to identify a...more
JF McC grades 2-4
Adult fans of Smith’s No. 1 Ladies’ Detective Agency series will be queuing up to give this prequel of sorts to the children they know. This series starter introduces the author’s heroine, Precious Ramotswe, as a young girl solving her first case. Someone has been stealing treats from her friends at school, and suspicion swirls around a chubby boy named Poloko. Encouraged by her father, who has noted Precious’ powers of deduction, the sleuth decides to follow her instincts and p...more
Adult fans of Smith’s No. 1 Ladies’ Detective Agency series will be queuing up to give this prequel of sorts to the children they know. This series starter introduces the author’s heroine, Precious Ramotswe, as a young girl solving her first case. Someone has been stealing treats from her friends at school, and suspicion swirls around a chubby boy named Poloko. Encouraged by her father, who has noted Precious’ powers of deduction, the sleuth decides to follow her instincts and p...more
1 like · like · see review
The author of The No. 1 Ladies’ Detective Agency series has written his first children’s book. This one too stars Precious Ramotswe and is the story of her very first mystery as a child in Botswana. When her father tells her a favorite story about when a lion got into their village, he notices that she has several characteristics of a detective: she asks a lot of questions and she can tell when people are telling the truth. So when food starts disappearing at Precious’ school, she gets involved...more
Precious Ramotswe is a girl who lives in the country of Botswana. She smiles a lot – nice people often do, and Precious is "one of the nicest girls in Botswana.” And, she asks a lot of questions – a sign that she might make a very good detective someday. If you’ve read Alexander McCall Smith’s popular series, The No. 1 Ladies Detective Agency, you’ll know that Precious does grow up to be a very good (and very nice) detective. In the Great Cake Mystery, we have the story of Precious’ Very First C...more
Ages 7-10. I was interested in reading this "prequel" to the No. 1 Ladies Detective Agency--when Precious was a little girl. Her first detective case is to discover who is stealing sweets from her classmates at school. This is extremely light reading--good for early readers. At times the story bogs with the author's laborious explanations and descriptions of things that only need one sentence, and occasionally the author's questioning the reader with "Don't you think..." sort of questions is int...more
A simple, yet sweet little book about detective Precious Ramostwe's very first case. What I really liked about this book were the beautiful illustrations that are sprinkled throughout the pages. They are wonderful, unique, and really brought the story alive. As for the story itself, I found it a bit uneven, especially at the beginning. Occasionally the language feels too clipped or simple. For example when describing the animals of Africa, "There are many of these in Botswana: lions, elephants,...more
When desserts start going missing in Precious Ramotswe's school, she decides to solve the mystery of who is taking them.
For those of you who've read Alexander McCall Smith's grown-up series The No. 1 Ladies Detective Agency , you'll know that Precious does grow up to be a detective, but it's in this book that we see how she gets her start.
I've never read any of the grown-up Precious Ramotswe books, but I can tell you that this one is a delight! With evocative illustrations and a narrative voic...more
For those of you who've read Alexander McCall Smith's grown-up series The No. 1 Ladies Detective Agency , you'll know that Precious does grow up to be a detective, but it's in this book that we see how she gets her start.
I've never read any of the grown-up Precious Ramotswe books, but I can tell you that this one is a delight! With evocative illustrations and a narrative voic...more
Alexander McCall Smith's first book for children, though set in Africa, is accessible to children from around the world. Precious would like to be a detective, and soon she gets the chance to solve her first case. Someone has been stealing the cake and treats Precious' classmates bring for lunch. While no one has caught the culprit, some of Precious' classmates have accused a plump boy named Poloko of stealing the snacks. But Precious doesn't think Poloko did it, and she doesn't think anyone sho...more
I downloaded this book from the public library as I had always been curious about this author. I didn't realize until after I loaded it into my Kindle Reader app. that it was for the young reader crowd . . . but I read it anyway . . . and it was an entry into wanting to read more of this series. I liked it . . . the illustrations were perfect . . . and after I checked out the author's webpage I discovered that the person who did all the original illustrations for the series is no longer doing th...more
Although young readers won't be familiar with the Ladies' No. 1 Detective Agency series yet, their mothers may well be and will enjoy introducing youngsters to Precious in her early days. Precious is a bright and inquisitive girl who does not rush to judgement when circumstantial evidence seems to point in one direction. There are nice lessons in this quick read about learning to disregard the comments of others, and about the perils of making assumptions without proof. The author does a nice jo...more
This is a story for children but it can still be read and enjoyed by adults. Precious Ramotswe, even as a child, was interested in solving mysteries. When food starts going missing at her school she is sure the boy accused by the rest of the children is not the culprit. Can she manage to find out the truth?
I enjoyed reading this little book as it has all the hallmarks of a No 1 Ladies Detective Agency story. The attention to detail and the way Precious knows whether people are lying or not just...more
I enjoyed reading this little book as it has all the hallmarks of a No 1 Ladies Detective Agency story. The attention to detail and the way Precious knows whether people are lying or not just...more
My copy is called "The Great Cake Mystery" but that is apparently a different name for the same book listed here. Precious Ramotswe was a child in grade school when she solved her first mystery. Treats from school lunches were being stolen and eaten, and an overweight boy in the class, who loved to eat, was being blamed. Precious stands up for him and discovers the real culprits. There is a good little mystery story here for 2-4 grade children, plus some facts about Africa and Botswana, and a l...more
Fans of Alexander McCall Smith's No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency series will like The Great Cake Mystery. In it, Precious Ramotswe is a child in Botswana. Sweet treats and cakes go missing from her school, and a boy is accused of theft. Is he guilty? Young Precious is on the case and demanding real evidence.
Even though it's a children's book, I'm not sure that the under-10 crowd would enjoy reading it on their own. However, it seems like it would be a great book for a parent (or other adult) to r...more
Even though it's a children's book, I'm not sure that the under-10 crowd would enjoy reading it on their own. However, it seems like it would be a great book for a parent (or other adult) to r...more
Precious Ramotswe, of the author's Number One Ladies' Detective agency series, begins her career at the age of seven when she solves the mystery of who is stealing the students' cakes at her school. Set in Botswana.
Fans of the adult series will love this glimpse of Mma Ramotswe as a child, particularly to see her growing up in her small town, and to meet the 'Dadi' whom the adult detective thinks of every day with love and longing. The author manages to work Mma Ramotswe's distinctive characteri...more
Fans of the adult series will love this glimpse of Mma Ramotswe as a child, particularly to see her growing up in her small town, and to meet the 'Dadi' whom the adult detective thinks of every day with love and longing. The author manages to work Mma Ramotswe's distinctive characteri...more
Sep 09, 2012
Soojin
rated it
4 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
breakfast-book-club-recs
The Great Cake Mystery (2010) by Alexander McCal Smith. 73 page book with illustrations. For 2nd or early 3rd gr. Set in Bostwana and mystery. Simple yet solid story about Precious who solves the case of the disappearing cakes. A boy is falsely accused but Precious stands up for him and finds out that the cakes are being stolen by monkeys. It's a good book to talk about "out of the box" solutions, "innocent until proven guilty," "herd mentality".... Group discussion questions in back as well as...more
May 24, 2012
Marcie
rated it
4 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
easy-chapters,
beginning-chapter-book
Of course I loved the adult series, and although the publisher have made this very didactic, I think it could be useful for teaching characteristics of mystery to 2nd or 3rd graders, or for the 5th grade struggling readers who aren't ready to read more difficult mystery. It even could be a good writing model for cliff hanger chapters. The note from the author is lovely, but the character guide, curriculum guide, and other end materials seemed to me a bit of overkill. It may be that I'm overly se...more
| topics | posts | views | last activity | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Red Dot Books: Yo...: The Best and the Worst? | 1 | 1 | Oct 21, 2012 03:30am |
Alexander McCall Smith is the author of the international phenomenon The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency series, the Isabel Dalhousie Series, the Portuguese Irregular Verbs series, and the 44 Scotland Street series. He is professor emeritus of medical law at the University of Edinburgh in Scotland and has served on many national and international bodies concerned with bioethics. He was born in what...more
More about Alexander McCall Smith...
Share This Book
No trivia or quizzes yet. Add some now »
May 31, 2012 07:36am