Starla Jean Cracks the Case
by Elana K. Arnold; illus. by A. N. Kang
Primary    Roaring Brook    96 pp.
4/23    9781250305800    $15.99
e-book ed.  9781250305817    $9.99

Back for a third adventure (Starla Jean, rev. 3/21; Starla Jean Takes the Cake), our ­heroine and her chicken, Opal Egg, have a mystery to solve. Starla Jean (who now considers herself a “chicken-everything expert”) summarizes key points from the ­previous titles as she shares her chicken knowledge along with topics of expertise found among her family and neighbors (e.g., “Mr. Marcos, whose house is near the park, is an expert gardener. His dog, Dean, is great at digging holes”). By ­chapter two, the plot moves forward as Starla Jean, with baby sister Willa in a wagon, ­unsuccessfully tries to leash Opal Egg for a walk, but Opal Egg insists on walking untethered. The chicken leads them to a mystery when she unearths a yellow bead while looking for snails. As with her chicken-care tactics, Starla Jean’s attempts to solve the mystery include a litany of tangents, wacky observations, and wrong turns, ­allowing both readers and Opal Egg to stay one step ahead. With each newly discovered clue, a neighbor joins the pursuit, and eventually this merry crew finds a rainbow of lost beads and their original owner too. Colorful spot art on every page adds information and comedy to the narrative and, along with Starla Jean’s penchant for lists and repetition, helps keep the story accessible for new readers.

From the March/April 2023 issue of The Horn Book Magazine.