Ellie Hattie (text), Karl James Mountford (illus.), The Curious Case of the Missing Mammoth, Little Tiger Press, April 2017, 24pp., $24.99 (hbk), ISBN 9781848694484
At the bewitching hour of midnight Oscar leaps out of bed to help find a missing baby mammoth. He chases him to the museum where all the animals have come alive to enjoy a party. The chase continues through the library, the aviation gallery, and the displays of dinosaurs, and extinct and endangered species where Oscar encounters much to interest him.
The real joy of this large format book, however, is the meticulous design that incorporates two gatefolds and several flaps on each page. This is paper engineering at its best: the flaps vary in shape and size, some being tiny, others shaped and quite large. They all hide text that either advances the story or provides a series of ‘fast facts’ that relate to the particular display Oscar is visiting. Children will enjoy the adventure but will love the fun of opening the flaps. Recommended. Suitable for ages 3-6.
Reviewed by Elizabeth Douglas
