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A review by sassmistress
The Great Cake Mystery: Precious Ramotswe's Very First Case by Alexander McCall Smith
inspiring
lighthearted
relaxing
4.75
This is a delightful children's mystery, set in Botswana. For fans of The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency, this is the first in a companion series--with young Precious Ramotswe getting her start as a detective.
It's lighthearted and light on the mystery (pretty obvious early on to adult me), so probably for younger children. Amazon says 5-9, but for the younger half of that it would definitely be readaloud. The interest level may be about right, though you might still get a little mileage above that age. Chapters are maybe 6-12 pages long.
This is a lovely read, with a great message about friendship and unfounded accusations. A thief has been taking students' snacks, and some of the kids decide that Poloko is the culprit, without proof. Precious refuses to go along with it, and comes to believe that he is innocent. She concocts a plan to catch the real thief (spoiler alert, it's not a person at all! ) and the students learn a lesson about prejudice.
I especially like the writing style and the matter-of-fact, insightful, parental narrator tone that all my favorite children's books use.
It's also a very respectful, genuine view of life in Botswana--everyday food, walking to school, wildlife, etc. Precious' father tells her a story from his childhood, which was more rural than hers, in which he escapes a lion in his fenced village and mentions the benefits of reed mats over modern beds.
The art is great too 😊
And a nice touch--at the end of the book, there are discussion questions, curriculum tie-ins, and a recipe for the cake Precious made.
It's lighthearted and light on the mystery (pretty obvious early on to adult me), so probably for younger children. Amazon says 5-9, but for the younger half of that it would definitely be readaloud. The interest level may be about right, though you might still get a little mileage above that age. Chapters are maybe 6-12 pages long.
This is a lovely read, with a great message about friendship and unfounded accusations. A thief has been taking students' snacks, and some of the kids decide that Poloko is the culprit, without proof. Precious refuses to go along with it, and comes to believe that he is innocent. She concocts a plan to catch the real thief (spoiler alert,
I especially like the writing style and the matter-of-fact, insightful, parental narrator tone that all my favorite children's books use.
It's also a very respectful, genuine view of life in Botswana--everyday food, walking to school, wildlife, etc. Precious' father tells her a story from his childhood, which was more rural than hers, in which he escapes a lion in his fenced village and mentions the benefits of reed mats over modern beds.
The art is great too 😊
And a nice touch--at the end of the book, there are discussion questions, curriculum tie-ins, and a recipe for the cake Precious made.
Content Warnings
Minor: Body shaming and Bullying
No real content concerns. Some notes:
- There's some mild bullying--the students harass Poloko, shrieking "thief!" at him.
- The accused boy is described as "rather round", who eats a lot of sweets (and carries pocketfuls). "But just because somebody has lots of sweets does not mean that he has stolen them." His appearance is not commented on again--they look to his sticky hands to blame him for another theft.
- Adults are good role models and the students speak respectfully to them. Stealing is wrong, and so is accusing people without proof.
- "Nice people smile a lot, and Precious Ramotswe was one of the nicest girls in Botswana. Everyone said so."