King & Kayla and the Case of the Mysterious Mouse

King & Kayla #3

by Dori Hillestad Butler, Nancy Meyers (Illustrator)

King & Kayla are back on the case in this laugh-out-loud mystery from the Theodor Seuss Geisel Honor Award-winning series.

King and Kayla are playing fetch with Jillian and Thor. Jillian throws King's favorite ball too hard, and it goes over the fence and into the neighbor's yard. The ball she brings back isn't King's. Where is King's favorite ball?

Analytical Kayla creates a list of possible explanations to investigate. Sensitive King puts aside his worries and questions the cat hiding under the porch, who claims a mouse did it. How could a mouse take King's ball?

With simple, straightforward language and great verbal and visual humor, the King & Kayla series is perfect for newly independent readers. King and Kayla model excellent problem-solving skills, including working as a team, gathering facts, making lists, and evaluating evidence.

Genres: Mystery, Childrens, Dogs, Animals, Chapter Books, Humor, Fiction

48 pages, Hardcover

First published September 1, 2017

About the author

Dori Hillestad Butler is an American author of more than 40 children's books, as well as magazine stories, plays and educational materials. Her first book, The Great Tooth Fairy Rip-Off, was published in 1997. She is known particularly for The Truth about Truman School, a 2008 young adult title focusing on the subject of cyber bullying, and for My Mom's Having a Baby (illustrated by Carol Thompson), which in 2011 appeared on the American Library Association's list of most commonly challenged books in the United States for its portrayal of conception and childbirth. Her 2010 mystery title, Buddy Files: Case of the Last Boy, won the 2011 Edgar Award for the best juvenile mystery published in 2010. Before becoming a children's author, Butler worked for three years as a page at a library.

Reviews

[Nancy Kotkin · Rating 4 out of 5]

A chapter book series featuring a suburban African American girl and her dog who helps her solve simple mysteries. Each book contains a terrific demonstration of deductive reasoning as Kayla writes down what she knows about the case, what she doesn't know, and then makes a plan based on these facts. Kayla's human friends, Jillian and Mason, are Caucasian, though this is never mentioned in the text, which advances the idea that it is perfectly normal to have friends of different races. The full-color illustrations are a real treat and add a lot of personality to the story.

In this third series installment, King's ball goes sailing over the backyard fence during a game of fetch, and then the ball disappears.

[Julie · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love this beginning reader chapter book series. This story is particularly fun. I think kids are really going to love it.

[Sunday · Rating 5 out of 5]

Book talk this to your transitional stage readers who are exploring early chapter books and then leave in the classroom library to be snatched up. King, the dog, is the narrator with Kayla as his "human." The story is engaging and there's lots of potential for student-led discussions - "Can Kayla understand King when he talks in human language or not?" or "How are King and Thor similar and different? How does these similarities contribute to the story?" or "Were you fooled like King when you heard that 'Mouse' stole the ball? Why or why not?" or JUST "What did you like about this book? Would you recommend to a friend? Why or why not?'

[Lneme2651ung.Edu · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a great chapter book that is told from King the dogs perspective. His ball was thrown over the next door neighbor's fence and King and his owner Kayla set off on a mission to find it. The story later reveals that Mouse, the door next door, found it and brought it inside. He returns it to King and they become good friends. I really like this story because it is an easy and short chapter book for beginning readers. There are not too many words on each page, and the chapters are not extremely long. The pictures on each page help the reader figure out what is going on if they don't know a word. This book could be used to teach about writing from various points of views.

[J. · Rating 4 out of 5]

It began when the ball Kayla is using to play fletch with her dog King, disappears. Kayla retrieved the ball from next door, but it was not Kings. The two go next door to find the ball. At first, King thinks the cat under the porch took it. The story contains a subtle moral regarding respecting personal property. Children will like the colorful pictures.

I received this book through a Goodreads giveaway. Although encouraged, I was under no obligation to write a review. The opinions I have expressed are my own.

[Trudy Zufelt · Rating 4 out of 5]

King and Kayla enjoy playing fetch with their friends, Jillian and Thor but when Jillian throws King's ball too hard, they have to figure out what happened to it.

From the point of view of the charming dog, King, the early reader will love how he engages in his human to solve the mystery of the lost ball. Is the cat right? Did a mouse really run off with it and how could a mouse carry a ball?

A charming story sure to capture the attention of dog lovers and mystery solvers.

I received a copy of the book from the publisher to facilitate review.

[BiblioBickie · Rating 3 out of 5]

King (a dog, the narrator) and Kayla are playing catch at Jillian's house with Jillian's puppy. When King's special ball goes over the fence into the yard, Jillian comes back with one that is similar but isn't the right ball. Where did it go? Kayla methodically lays out the facts and their questions, with King telling readers what he would add if he could talk and make Kayla understand him. Good for ages 7-8 or younger more advanced readers.

[Heidi · Rating 5 out of 5]

In this third book in the series, King's ball goes missing and he is frantic to get it back. It's just right for fetching after all. After Kayla lists all the clues she has, King uses his additional information from a neighborhood cat to try to find his ball. He's determined to succeed, even if it means leaping into the neighbor's yard. This is a fun addition to the series with an amusing twist at the end.

[Erin Buhr · Rating 4 out of 5]

The KING AND KAYLA series a great first chapter book set. The words are simple enough to sound out or read with sight word knowledge. The stories are fun and interesting. The character of King, who narrates the story, is very doglike and comical. This book, The Case of the Mysterious Mouse, is cute and has a fun surprise ending. A great addition to an already wonderful series.

Note: I received a copy of this book in exchange for my honest opinion.

[AMY · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is another fun story when Kayla tries to figure out where King’s favorite ball goes when it disappears over the fence into the next-door neighbor’s yard. The humor is lots of fun. Kids will love how King tries to tell his humans what is going on but no one seems to understand him. Great illustrations throughout. Perfect transition chapter book for girls (mostly) in Grades 2-3. Highly recommended.

[Becky B · Rating 4 out of 5]

King is teaching Jillian's new puppy Thor how to fetch when his ball goes over the fence. Kayla comes back with a ball, but it isn't King's ball. Eventually Kayla catches on and they go hunting for King's actual ball but they can't find it in the neighbor's yard. Where could it be?

There's a nice twist in this mystery. See if readers can predict what is going on. This is a good one to keep little sleuths on their toes. And King and Kayla are fun to spend time with.

[Rachel Stine · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love the King & Kayla readers, although I wish they would feature Kayla a little more. These are dog books, not books about a kid with a dog. Which is fine but the covers and the descriptions make it sound like King & Kayla are a team (think Hardy Boys or the Bobsey Twins) but King is Sherlock Holmes and Kayla is Inspector Lestrade (not even Watson in her own series!), always a day late and a dollar short.

[Bmack · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a great Early Reader series about a girl and her dog told from the dog, King's perspective. It is great for introducing kids about books told from different perspectives and also detective/mystery books. The text is good for those students moving from Early Readers into chapter books as their are only about 5 chapters.

[Jesse · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love these books! Berry does, too. I wasn't sure she was even listening, because she likes to talk while I read her books, but afterwards she recapped some of the happenings to me. This time around King and Kayla are investigating the disappearance of King's ball! What they find, instead, is a new friend. :)

[Beth · Rating 4 out of 5]

I am still utterly charmed by King. I like how he can read but not write, so he knows everything Kayla knows as she makes up her detective sheets, but he can't share his knowledge with her. I like how the kids are responsible. I like the easy sections on each page. These would be fun books to grow reading muscles with.

[Natalie · Rating 3 out of 5]

King and Kayla play fetch at Jillian’s house. Jillian tries to teach her dog Thor to play fetch like King, but Jillian ends up throwing King’s ball too far and it is lost. Will detectives King and Kayla find the ball?

The ending has a funny twist. This is a good mystery chapter book for lower elementary students, especially for dog lovers.

[Jessica · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very cute story and wonderful read for new or beginning readers. My four year old loved it as well and enjoyed the pictures. I am sure it will be a hit when he starts to read and recognize more words.

[Pam · Rating 3 out of 5]

Another book in this early reader mystery series. This time a "mouse" finds King's ball when Jillian accidentally throws it over the fence. King solves the mystery though Kayla doesn't understand what he's doing.

[Sue Poduska · Rating 4 out of 5]

What’s great about this series is that there are enough illustrations to help move the story along and enhance a young reader’s ability to figure out the words. Recommended for reading together, reading aloud, and independent reading.

[Denise Kettering · Rating 5 out of 5]

King's favorite ball is missing and while Kayla makes a list to try to figures out what happened, King questions the neighbor cat to try to solve the mystery. Ultimately, the pair solves the case. Cute story with both King and Kayla demonstrating a positive attitude toward problem solving.

[Kristin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Third installment of King & Kayla. Another fun mystery for early readers.

[Michele Knott · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another great addition to this series!

[Cheryl · Rating 4 out of 5]

I won a copy of this book from Goodreads Giveaways. Cute story. Great for beginning readers who are ready for a chapter book.

[Margaret Boling · Rating 5 out of 5]

12/31/2017 ~~ I discovered this book when another in the series won a Nerdy Book Award this year. I'll definitely be adding it to my school's library collection. King, the doggy narrator, has a humorous voice, with all foods and activities being his favorite. His confrontation with the cat is perfect, as is the twist with the mouse who found his ball.

I appreciate that Kayla is African-American and pictured prominently on the cover, but that she is a girl having fun with her dog.

[Leona · Rating 4 out of 5]

upper level beg reader.

[Susan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Such a great book for beginning readers.

[Andrea · Rating 5 out of 5]

A fun and funny early reader. I love the listing out of what they each do and don't know as they try to solve the mystery.

Kirkus: ages 6-8; SLJ: grades 1-3

[DaNae · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love the voice of King in this series. So positive and joyful.

[Josephine Burks · Rating 4 out of 5]

Super cute series one of my daughters really like.

[Morgan Sohl · Rating 4 out of 5]

Cute early reader book featuring diverse characters, dog and a little bit of mystery.