Synopsis
A humorous, animal detective story for 7-12 year-olds.
When Mr Woodland Mouse mysteriously disappears, Constable Mole is quick to enlist the help of Leon Chameleon, Private Investigator, whose expertise enabled the Pigeon Valley Police to solve the case of the missing canary eggs.
After organising a search, Leon realises that there is only one creature in the valley who can spring the captured mouse from his prison. But just when he thinks Mr Woodland Mouse is safely on his way home, the plan goes horribly wrong..."
All the animal details of food, habits, and lifestyle are true to nature (apart from Constable Mole’s sunglasses!) and the animals solve the crimes using their own natural abilities. Children will absorb much knowledge of the small creatures of Africa without being aware of it.
A section of interesting facts has been added to this second detective story in the Leon Chameleon PI series. It provides valuable and little-known information on chameleons, moles and other creatures featured in the story.
Excerpt
“LEON, Leon!” cried Constable Mole, clambering out of his burrow and hurriedly dusting the soil from his fur. “Are you there, Leon?”
Mole’s urgent, squeaking voice startled Leon Chameleon, who was dreaming, with half-closed eyes, of all the detective cases he would one day solve. The branch he was perched on swayed slightly in the gentle breeze, and the warm sun filtering through the leaves made him feel quite sleepy.
“Leon!” demanded Mole.
“Drat,” thought Leon, as Constable Mole’s frantic voice became even more urgent. “What can the little chap want in such a hurry?”
Leon’s eyes at the end of their cone-shaped turrets swivelled down in search of Constable Mole, whose reddish-brown body was almost invisible against the brown of the earth. At last he spotted Mole’s anxious figure.
“Leon!” squeaked Mole in annoyance, stamping his feet.
“All right, all right. I’m coming,” said Leon, sighing at Mole’s impatience. Slowly Leon unfurled his tail from the twig, around which he’d secured it for extra support in case he fell asleep and toppled off. He began his ponderous climb down through the branches of the Pigeonwood Tree, which was his headquarters where he waited for clients who needed his help. On reaching the lowest branch he yelled a warning: “Watch out, Mole!”
“Oh no,” muttered Mole when he heard Leon drawing in great puffs of air. He knew from past experience that it wasn’t safe under trees when Leon was about to launch himself from a branch. He scurried down his hole out of harm’s way.
Leon puffed and puffed, sucking air into the tiny airways of his lungs which were spread throughout his body. When he’d blown himself up like a miniature balloon, he bellowed, “Look out below,” and with a mighty push of his strong back legs leapt from the branch. But even when he was filled with air, Leon’s descent was still quite rapid. Mole remained in the safety of his hole until he felt the ground shudder as Leon’s plummeting body landed with a plop amongst the dried leaves.
Mole was always amazed that Leon never hurt himself when he jumped from trees. But Leon’s trick of blowing up his body cushioned his fall and he simply bounced when he hit the ground.
“Now, what’s the problem?” L
