The Case of the Missing Tadpole (Detective Duck)

by Henry Winkler and Lin Oliver

Dan Santat (Illustrator)

Detective Duck: The Case of the Missing Tadpole is a hysterical, full-color chapter book adventure from New York Times bestselling creators—Emmy Award–winning actor Henry Winkler, children’s book author Lin Oliver, and Caldecott Medal–winning author-illustrator Dan Santat

Willow Feathers McBeaver, aka Detective Duck, is a crime-solving (and very precocious) little duck. She and her animal pals live on Dogwood Pond, a beautiful pond in New England adjacent to Lazy Days, a human campground. Dogwood Pond has always been a pristine spot with clear water, abundant wildlife, and shady willow trees, but now it is encountering puzzling problems—mysteries that arise from human-caused disruptions in nature, such as water pollution, refuse, warming climate, and human encroachment.

When Tad the Tadpole goes missing, Detective Duck and her friends in the Pond Squad are on the case. What first seemed like a simple search and rescue mission gets more complicated when her friends find a pipe leaking a strange brown liquid and a cluster of peculiar blue-green plants that make it difficult for the pond creatures to breathe.

Fortunately, Detective Duck is on the job, solving these puzzling mysteries before they get out of hand and destroy their habitat! The Pond Squad will have to work together to clean up their environment and bring Tad home in this charming new mystery.

The Detective Duck series:
Detective Duck: The Case of the Strange Splash (#1)
Detective Duck: The Case of the Missing Tadpole (#2)

• ISBN10: 1419766813
• ISBN13: 9781419766817
• Publish Date: 2 January 2025
• Publish Status: Forthcoming
• Publish Country: US
• Publisher: Abrams
• Imprint: Amulet Books
• Format: Hardcover
• Pages: 80
• Language: English

Reviews

[annieb123]

Originally posted on my blog Nonstop Reader.

The Case of the Missing Tadpole is a lighthearted caper mystery for youngsters with some good underlying messages, written by Henry Winkler and Lin Oliver. Released 15th Oct 2024 by Harry Abrams Books, it's 80 pages and is available in hardcover, audio, and ebook formats. It's worth noting that the ebook format has a handy interactive table of contents as well as interactive links.

This is a cute mystery, and the second to feature the titular character, Willow, the Detective Duck, and a large ensemble cast of secondary characters. Readers are dropped into the middle of the action from the first page, little tadpole, Tad, has gone missing and everyone joins in to find out how he could've disappeared. 

All the animals get in on the hunt, and they soon find even more mysteries to solve. The action driven plot is a bit choppy in places, and there are a large number of characters, but overall it's a fun light story with some good takeaways. 

The incidental art by Dan Santat is adorable and supports and enhances the action. It's "cartoon"ish, but also full of details which invite readers to spend some time and take a closer look. 

Four stars, it would be a good choice for public or school library acquisition, home reading, or possibly gifting. 

Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes.