The Big Swat (Ace Lacewing, Bug Detective)

K-Gr 2—This adventure takes the buggy private investigator into the world of baseball. Bugsy Goldwing, the star rookie player for the Stinkbugs, Motham City's home team, has his lucky bat stolen right before a big game, and Ace is hired to find it. The trail takes him to ballparks and locker rooms throughout the league. The complicated story unravels slowly and reveals the thief to be Bugsy's competition for the MVP award. The bat is found cracked. But Bugsy realizes that it's not the bat; it's his ability and he knocks the ball out of the park. The case is solved. The Photoshop-produced illustrations are crisp and colorful, although in rather flat hues. The story has a noir feel to it, as the detectives all wear trench coats and talk tough. The lengthy text is laden with insect jokes, puns, and bug names and the plot is rather convoluted. Nonetheless, fans of the previous two Ace Lacewing titles will enjoy this one. — Ieva Bates, Ann Arbor District Library, MI