Small Readers: King & Kayla and the case of the missing dog treats by Dori Hillestad Butler, illustrated by Nancy Meyers

When I picked up the first title in this series, I was immediately won over by sweet and funny King and Kayla. My library kids were equally entranced and it's been quite a while until I was able to get my hands on the latest title - in fact, I had to borrow another library's copy because mine is checked out again!

King is very excited when he smells Kayla making peanut butter treats. He LOVES peanut butter treats! Unfortunately, they aren't for him - they're for Jillian's new puppy, Thor. And Kayla won't even let him lick the bowl! She says the dough is bad for dogs. Even worse, while they're all playing outside someone steals three of the treats. At first, Kayla blames King, but when she smells his breath she knows he's innocent. While Kayla and Jillian are working hard on figuring out the mystery, King has found some of his own clues, like a funny smell. Can they discover the thief by working together?

Meyers' cheerful and simple pictures are a good match for the brisk text. Easy readers don't want busy or extensive pictures, since the kids are still focusing on comprehending and learning the text. The mystery is simple but fun and lays out the steps of investigating from figuring out the problem to listing the clues. The added humor of King's knowledge and Kayla's obliviousness will tickle kids' funny bones.

Verdict: I'm planning to buy more of these so I can get enough together for a book club. Highly recommended, sure to fly off your shelves.

ISBN: 9781561458776; Published 2017 by Peachtree; Purchased for the library