View source for The Dog Detectives: Lost in London by Fin Gypsy, Zoa Gypsy and Monika Suska

{{infobox2
|title=The Dog Detectives: Lost in London
|sort=Dog Detectives: Lost in London
|author=Fin Gypsy, Zoa Gypsy and Monika Suska
|reviewer=Rachael Spencer
|genre=For Sharing
|summary=The ravens at the Tower of London have gone missing but never fear because  the Dog Detectives are on hand to help! Will they find the mischievous birds before afternoon tea, and will you and your children find them before our heroes do? Crack open this cracker of a book to find out.
|rating=4
|buy=Yes
|borrow=Yes
|pages=32
|publisher=Maverick
|date=May 2011
|isbn=978-1848860698
|website=
|video=
|aznuk=1848860692
|aznus=1848860692
|cover=1848860692
}}

There are six ravens kept in the Tower of London and they hold a magical spell which stops the city falling into ruin, but only so long as they stay in the Tower. So what happens when they decide to have a game of hide and seek? Luckily Detective Jack and Deputy Poco Loco, The Dog Detectives, are on hand to help. Will they find all six before afternoon tea?

This is a fun romp around London, using clues to help you find the ravens on the way.  There is a good use of London landmarks and even some really interesting facts about the capital city in the back which older children reading this book will find fascinating. This makes it an even more appealing book as it will be popular with both older and younger children, making it a book you can buy knowing it should last you for some years to come. Younger children can simply look for the birds in the pictures, whilst older children can try to work out the clues on the page before to deduce where the ravens will be hiding next. Though I shouldn’t admit that there were a couple I struggled to work out! 

It is a great book to read together with your child; the illustrations are eye catching, nicely coloured and ultimately engaging.  The premise is excellent and I think makes a good transition from flap style books to slightly more in depth stories. I am sure most children will enjoy opening up this book and becoming a private detective themselves as I can imagine any child who enjoys this will be desperate to get hold of the rest of the series (and maybe a detective costume too)! 

So the question remains, will you find all the Tower’s six magical ravens to save the city and, more to the point, will the Dog Detectives?! I think you will enjoy finding out.

I'd like to thank the publishers for sending a copy to the Bookbag.

If you're looking for a child-friendly guide to London we can recommend [[Paddington's Guide to London by Michael Bond]].

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[[Category:Fin Gypsy]]
[[Category:Zoa Gypsy]]
[[Category:Monika Suska]]