The Underdogs Catch a Cat Burglar (Underdogs #1)

by Kate Temple (Author) Shiloh Gordon (Illustrator)

Reading Level: 2nd − 3rd Grade
Series: Underdogs

"The Underdogs will have young readers HOWLING with laughter, SNIFFING for clues, and BARKING with delight." --Andrew McDonald and Ben Wood, creators of the Real Pigeons series 

Perfect for fans of comical animal do-gooders like The Bad Guys, The InvestiGators, and The Chicken Squad, this hilarious chapter book series follows a group of bumbling dog detectives and their newest recruit--a cat! In this first case, the Underdogs are hot on the tail of a cat burglar.

Crime is on the rise in Dogtown, and it's all thanks to a mysterious cat burglar! They've stolen everything from handbags to ham sandwiches, and nobody has been able to catch them. Now The Underdog Detective Agency is on the case . . . but as their name might suggest, they aren't exactly the best sleuths in town.

Barkley and the other dogs at the agency have been in a bit of a slump, but this latest case could turn it all around. So to catch this menacing cat burglar, they may have to do the unthinkable and hire their first-ever cat detective. Enter Fang, a street-smart, one-eyed feline and the newest member of the team.

Being a cat in a dog's world isn't easy, but Fang is determined to prove she's got what it takes. Will Fang and Barkley be able to work together to solve the case and help make Underdogs the top dogs once again? You'll have to read to find out in this paws-itively hilarious mystery!

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Publishers Weekly

The Underdog Detective Agency's dogged feline employee seeks the cat burglar nicking everything from "handbags to ham sandwiches" in this punny chapter book debut from married collaborators the Temples. Being a cat in Dogtown won't keep Fang, a one-eyed feline with a kink in her tail, from succeeding--even if her upbringing has already found her less than keen at barking, chasing "the same stupid ball," and whizzing against trees. Ill-suited to life as a sheep herder, sled dog, or "official butt sniffer," Fang sees a help wanted ad from the Underdog Detective Agency ("no clue left undug") and, as the only applicant, lands the gig. With Barkley, a German shepherd sporting Sam Spade attire, gadget-minded dalmatian Dr. Spots, and receptionist Carl, a Hawaiian shirt-wearing Chihuahua, Fang works to crack the case, which would be the Underdogs' first win in years. Mayhem follows as Fang and Barkley race their archrivals, the Weimaraner siblings at Top Dog Detectives, to catch the cat burglar red-pawed. Nonstop wordplay and comic resilience prove winning in this quirky, quick-moving mystery, shown in Gordon's animated b&w illustrations, that will have readers rooting for the Underdogs. Ages 6-9. (Sept.)

Copyright 2022 Publishers Weekly, LLC Used with permission.

Review quotes

Praise for the Underdogs!

The Underdogs will have young readers HOWLING with laughter, SNIFFING for clues and BARKING with delight. —Andrew McDonald and Ben Wood, creators of Real Pigeons Fight Crime


Kate Temple
Kate and Jol Temple love to write silly books for kids! Some of them rhyme and others do not, but all of them have pictures because pictures are cool and anyone who says they're not is a two-headed yeti. Their books have won several awards, such as the 2020 Charlotte Huck Award at NCTE. The Underdogs is their debut chapter book series. Kate and Jol live in Sydney, Australia, with their two sons and a dog that thinks it's a racoon. You can learn more about them all at katejoltemple.com and follow them @KateJolTemple on Instagram.

Shiloh Gordon has a passion for creating lively, engaging illustrations that are full of character and fun. He has a degree in animation from the Queensland College of Art and has worked as a professional illustrator for over twenty years. The Underdogs is his debut chapter book series. Shiloh lives in Brisbane, Australia, with his wife and three kids, who are an endless source of fun and inspiration. You can follow him on Instagram @ShilohIllustration.
Classification
Fiction
ISBN-13
9780593526965
Lexile Measure
560
Guided Reading Level
-
Publisher
Razorbill
Publication date
September 20, 2022
Series
Underdogs
BISAC categories
JUV019000 - Juvenile Fiction | Humorous Stories
JUV002070 - Juvenile Fiction | Animals | Dogs
JUV028000 - Juvenile Fiction | Mysteries, Espionage, & Detective Stories
Library of Congress categories
Humorous stories
Cats
Dogs
Mystery and detective stories
Detective and mystery fiction
Humorous fiction

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