Status Updates From Homer on the Case

The kids get back to street level, see two police officers, tell their story, and more help is called in. The police can't believe what they are seeing - the largest alligator ever, bedecked in all the stolen jewels! Newspaper articles tell the amazing story, and the four investigators are town heroes! What jewels and belongings could not be returned were auctioned off to benefit the animal shelter.

With several words, Lulu is able to get Charlotte and Otto to understand. They follow the birds to the storm drain. They need adult help but realize that adults would not believe two kids and their birds. They formalize a plan to go down into the sewer. A storm is brewing overhead and it gets darker in the tunnels. The shallow tunnel is flowing with water, and it is up to the kids' knees. Soon they are soaked.

The alligator is called Snaps - an appropriate name! How will Homer and Lulu get their owners to understand what they are trying to tell them? The new Everglade animal stamps that Otto bought will be the answer. Lulu is saying Snaps, and alligator, even though she hadn't been taught those two words! Charlotte and Otto and beginning to realize something. But, so far, they think its just interspecies communication.

Chapter eleven starts with two illustrations. A long sewer tunnel with flowing water, and an alligator all decked out in human jewelry. The word, Accoutrement, is used. Is this a logical word to use for the reader's age group? The passageways get narrower and darker, as the motionless air becomes danker and mustier. They come to a large, cavernous room crowded with rats and scraggly-looking cats.

At the park, Homer, Lulu, Carlos, and his recruited pigeon lookouts are hoping they will see some action. A woman with a huge baby stroller sits down. Rats are spied entering the carriage, as the woman sits reading. A silver rattle has been stolen. They meet at night and head for the sewers.

Charlotte and Otto finally meet each. Lulu, an Amazon parrot, knows 100 words! She sings Row, Row, Row Boat. Otto explains what homing pigeons are. Another theft happens - right under their noses! Charlotte's hair barrette has been taken by the rat. Homer tells Lulu he can read. Otto likes different postal stamps as I do! Lulu and Homer try to figure out how they can tell Otto how the thefts are happening.

The black and white pencil drawings tell a lot about the story, with just 4 pictures, in each chapter. Chapter 6 begins with 4 pictures of Homer meeting the girl, Charlotte, with her green parrot, named Lulu, who sits on her shoulders. Will he try to communicate with the parrot? Oh dear, Grandad is the next victim of the Park animal thefts. His gold pocket watch is stolen.

What is a Le Pompeuse pen? It is valuable, according to the story. A pair of snobby poodles, with bejeweled collars, speak harshly to Homer and Carlos, calling them riffraff. The next day the owner is robbed of newly-boughten collars, and the dogs are hysterical, frightened by the thief rats. Homer tells them he will help find the collars. He realizes he will have to go down into the storm drain.

Homer has a bird friend, named Carlos. Carlos is jealous of Homer's life- all the food he wants and shelter, too. Homer sees a rat go into a lady's purse and come out with a gold bracelet. He tries to tell the lady, but of course, she doesn't understand. Instead, she screams and swings her bag at Homer. A second theft occurs while Homer is investigating. This time, a cat steals a gold pen from a coat pocket.

A trip to Keeler Park to see the re-dedication of a statue leads to Homer getting involved in the Park thefts. Cole's writing style is fluid, easy to read, and is descriptive but not overly so.

This story was on my reading list before I read a review about the author! Homer is a homing pigeon living in the city with his owner, young Otto, and his Granddad. They race Homer. Homer is an unusual bird. He can read - only in the story of course! His reading leads him to a mystery about animals stealing from humans. He reads the comic pages in the newspaper and loves Dick Tracy!

In the copy I have, with 171 pgs, page 149 has an error at the top. Homer's a bird and cannot hold a flashlight. Otto was the one with the light. They also used the line, "we're getting nowhere slowly." Which would be fine, kids repeat things, but seeing that next to this makes it feel as if it's a mistake.