Welcome to Day 22 of the 4th Annual March MG Madness! Today we are celebrating Jake G. Panda's The Case of the Cursed Dodo. That's right, my very first visit from a panda bear...
The Case of the Cursed Dodo
(The Endangered Files #1)
by Jake G. Panda
12/15/14
If you're looking for trouble, you've found it. The name's Jake G. Panda, and trouble seems to follow me wherever I go. I work in the protection racket at a flophouse for endangered critters called the Last Resort. I'm the hotel snoop. The resident fuzz. It's my job to keep these guests safe and outta harm's way. This is the first of my many misadventures. A wild and woolly mystery involving a lost suitcase, a green bird, and a bunch of double-crossing animals. I'm calling this jungle noir The Case of the Cursed Dodo.
This hilarious first installment of The Endangered Files follows Jake, a hardboiled panda detective, and an unusual cast of endangered creatures on a globe-trotting adventure that will appeal to young and old alike.
Watch the book trailer
What three words best describe The Case of the Cursed Dodo?
Hilarious Hardboiled Hijinks.
Can you give us your best one sentence pitch to convince readers, especially reluctant readers, to give your book a try?
The Case of the Cursed Dodo is a wild and woolly adventure mystery involving a lost suitcase, a green bird, and a bunch of double-crossing animals.
Grab a copy of The Case of the Cursed Dodo and answer the following:
favorite chapter?
Chapter 8: Mr. G's Monkey Business. Who doesn't love a little monkey business?
favorite page?
Page 6 because it includes a picture of yours truly hard at work.
favorite place/setting?
Wildlife's Last Resort of course. This flophouse for endangered fellas is my home.
flip to a random page and give us a 1-2 sentences teaser:
Page 91: Welcome to the Watering Hole. Where the guests go to let off a lil' steam. Tonight the joint was jumping like a tree frog on a trampoline...
What inspired The Case of the Cursed Dodo? How did the story come to be?
As a panda, I wanted to write an adventure that would introduce young readers, even the reluctant ones, to the plight of endangered critters like myself in a fun and informative way. I'm also a huge fan of classic films, with Casablanca and The Maltese Falcon being two of my favorites. I wanted to create something that paid homage to those movies. A story that took place in a simpler time. When a bear was a bear and a bird was a bird.
Can you tell us a bit about your hero, Jake G. Panda? What makes him special and sets him apart from other middle-grades heroes?
I hate talking about myself in the third person, but here goes...
Besides being ruggedly handsome, Jake, like most pandas, is a bit of a loner. He works in the protection racket at a flophouse for endangered animals. He's the resident fuzz. But don't let his tough guy exterior fool you. On the inside, he's a big, old softy.
What makes him special? Well, there aren't many panda bear detectives working in middle grade fiction. I think it's Jake's hope that his adventures will serve as a jumping-off point for young readers, inspiring them to do a little investigating on their own to see if there's something they can do to help these endangered creatures.
What other zany adventure and detective adventures are in store for Jake?
There's nowhere Jake won't go to save animals in trouble. His next adventure will take him out onto the high seas where he will cross paths with barnacled pirates, shady smugglers, and more endangered critters in need of protection.
As a middle-grade author, why do think MG is so important and popular? What do you love about MG?
I remember as a little bear cub reading classics like Charlotte's Web and The Wind in the Willows. These books had a lasting effect on me and I think that's true for most young readers at that age.
What are some of your favorite middle-grade reads?
I've already mentioned Charlotte's Web and The Wind in the Willows. They're at the top of the list along with The Complete Tales of Winnie the Pooh, anything by Roald Dahl, Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of NIMH, Watership Down, and Babe: The Gallant Pig. As you can see, I tend to like books with strong animal protagonists.
Fill in the blanks:
I’m really awesome at building tree houses.
I’m really embarrassed to admit that I'm scared of spiders. Sorry, Charlotte.
The last great book I read was Chained by Lynne Kelly. Bring a Kleenex.
If you were to bake a cupcake inspired by The Case of the Cursed Dodo, what would it look and taste like and what would you call it?
I'd call it Jungle Noir Crunch and it would be dark chocolate (that's the noir part) with banana-bamboo frosting. And then topped off with a small bamboo umbrella (That's the crunch!). I'm very fond of bamboo. It's in everything I eat.
Jake G. Panda is a hard-nosed bear investigator. He likes bamboo and saving endangered animals. He is the author of The Endangered Files, a mystery series about his misadventures in the protection business.
His partner in crime, the fella who helps write these books because, let's be honest, it's not easy typing with big, clunky bear paws, resides somewhere in New England. He has written his fair share of stuff, mostly for the big screen. And some of it has actually been projected. He likes to keep a low profile and lets Jake do all the talking.
Win a signed paperback copy of
The Case of the Cursed Dodo!
The author has generously offered one signed book for one winner.
Details
-US only
-ends 3/31
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would love to read this. thanks for the opportunity :)
ReplyDeleteThis was such a fun read, my kiddo and I really enjoyed it.
ReplyDeleteI am looking forward to reading The Case of the Cursed Dodo, at least to find out what the "G" stands for...oh, wait a minute...I think I figured it out!
ReplyDeleteBob T Panda. Guess what the T stands for!
The kids love mysteries. The kids love silliness. Should be a hit!
ReplyDelete