Name: The Queen's Shadow
ISBN: 9781894786607

Cybèle Young

After a power outage at the Queen's Ball, the miffed monarch realizes her shadow is missing. And so begins a most unusual investigation as Mantis Shrimp, the Royal Detective, questions each guest: Sir Chameleon, Captain Shark, Lancehead Snake, Goat, Dragonfly, Colossal Squid, Dr. Pigeon and the young sea urchins, Romanoff and Echino. Each suspect pleads his or her case, illuminating fascinating facts about how each creature sees. A highly original and visually arresting book from Governor General's Award–winner Cybèle Young.

A Story About How Animals See

The Queen's Shadow

Sarah Escorsa

Fleet Admiral DaShrimp Mantis Shrimp, Royal Detective, to the rescue!

This little book here is an ode to the glory of me the Wondrous Mantis Shrimp (WMS™). Okay, so it might mainly also be a slightly cool Whodunit cum Scientifically Informational Thingie (WcSIT™) about animal sight: The Queen's shadow has been stolen/lost/whatever, and Fleet Admiral DaShrimp Mantis Shrimp, Royal Detective is all, "This cannot be! This will not do! Off to investigate I am!" and stuff.

I have to admit that, as awesome as our Royal Detective is, he has a bit of a hard time figuring out who the culprit is. In his defense, he was called a 
  shrimp
 *shudders* by Sir Chameleon early in the investigation, which didn't sit quite right with him. To say the least. I can't say I'm surprised. This is, after all, one of the most degrading, insulting, humiliating things you can say to a Most Scrumptious Mantis Shrimp (MSMS™).



You have all the right to be slightly outraged, comrade. Some things are just not done! No wonder you weren't in your best investigative mood after being defamed in such scandalous way! I am quite put out on your behalf. I am actually thinking of awarding you with the Gold Nefarious Medal of Oustanding Mantishrimpiness (GNMoOM™) for your exemplary behavior in this exacting inquest. Because surviving having to deal with Goat, the Malodorous Earl of Pancake, malicious mollusks, awful arthropods and distastefully underage sea urchins (of all things) should be rewarded somehow. 



Yeah, okay, well, technically, you didn't exactly solve the mystery, did you now? I mean, your investigative skills were slightly substandard here, were they not? Sorry, what? Oh, spoiler spoiler spoiler and all that? Okay, sure, whatever. It wouldn't be too good for your image to reveal the awful truth anyway, would it now? Okay, okay, I'm shutting my lovely little mouth shut, no need to get violent and stuff. 



Right. So you say. Seems to me you sounded awfully defensive a few minutes ago. But anyway.

So, to sum things up: Queen's shadow goes poof, Mantis Shrimp goes "arrr," shadow goes "why, hello again! Long time no see and stuff!" Mystery solved. Nothing to see here, move along, you bunch of aggravating animals with eyeballs. 

» And the moral of this Mantis Shrimp are the Deadliest Sexiest Animals in the Universe Damn Right They Are Crappy Non Review (MSatDSAitUDRTACNR™) is: I don't give a fish about animals. I don't give a fish about science. I lurves this book so much I read it twice. So QED and stuff.

(view spoiler)[  (hide spoiler)]



Miriam said "Mantis Shrimp Royal Detective," and I said:



And also:

Ana Cob

Great information and beautiful pictures although I am not sure it will really appeal to children. The vocabulary is quite advanced. Will use it with our PYP4 for a unit on Physics of light. Let's see how it goes!

Nadine 

Most unusual nonfiction book on animal and insect sight combining colored in sketches with an old fashioned retro look. I suspect however that the style will be more appealing to girls than boys who seem to favor hyper realistic photos rather than sketches.

The Queen's Shadow A Story About How Animals See

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