The 13th Clue - Hardcover

Jonas, Ann

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0688097421 ISBN 13: 9780688097424

Publisher: Greenwillow Books, 1992

Synopsis

"Jonas's latest work is an open invitation for young mystery fans. Beginning with a diary entry of a child...the book leads the protagonist (and readers) on a merry chase from the attic to the backyard, across the pond, through the woods and up a hill where a surprise birthday party awaits her....Children will be immediately captivated by the clever clues....A guaranteed-to-please selection that deserves a spot in any collection."--School Library Journal.

About this title

About the Author

Ann Jonas has written and illustrated many popular books for children, including Color Dance, Reflections, and Round Trip, which was an ALA Notable Book and a "New York Times" Best Illustrated Book. She is a graduate of Cooper Union and has worked as a graphic designer for many years with her husband, Donald Crews. They live in upstate New York.

Ann Jonas has written and illustrated many popular books for children, including Color Dance, Reflections, and Round Trip, which was an ALA Notable Book and a "New York Times" Best Illustrated Book. She is a graduate of Cooper Union and has worked as a graphic designer for many years with her husband, Donald Crews. They live in upstate New York.

From School Library Journal

Grade 1-3-- From the large magnifying glass on the front cover to the collage cutouts on the back, Jonas's latest work is an open invitation for young mystery fans. Beginning with a diary entry of a child complaining about her terrible day, the book leads the protagonist (and readers) on a merry chase from the attic to the backyard, across the pond, through the woods and up a hill where a surprise birthday party awaits her. Although the foreshadowing of the surprise in the opening diary entry seems a bit obvious, children will be immediately captivated by the clever clues that form the main part of the text. As she did with animals in The Trek (Greenwillow, 1985) , Jonas has worked the messages inventively into the motif of each scene; in a particularly brilliant stroke, the words of one clue are created by the laundry hanging on the line. To entice readers even further, some hints are written backwards, others upside down, and still others as a rebus. The strong natural tones used in portraying the lush woods, the craggy stone wall, and the mossy pond form a definite contrast to the bright primary colors found in the party scene and in the closing diary entry. It is also interesting to watch the protagonist evolve from a mere hint of a shadow to a full portrait of a young girl as the story progresses. Although the book could be shared with small groups, it will work best one-on-one since some of the clues are rather difficult to decipher from a distance. In any case, it will have wide appeal for would-be detectives who will be inspired to try their hand at designing their own clues, and it should also be an effective choice for reluctant readers. A guaranteed-to-please selection that deserves a spot in any collection.
- Nancy Menaldi-Scanlan, Wheeler School, Providence, RI
Copyright 1992 Reed Business Information, Inc.

About this edition

• Publisher: Greenwillow Books
• Publication date: 1992
• ISBN 10: 0688097421
• ISBN 13: 9780688097424
• Binding: Hardcover
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 32
• Illustrator: Jonas Ann