Today we are very excited to share a special interview with authors Kate and Jol Temple (The Underdogs)!
Read on to learn more about them, their books, and a giveaway!
Meet the Author: Kate and Jol Temple
Kate and Jol Temple love to write silly books for kids! Some of them rhyme and others do not, but all of them have pictures because pictures are cool and anyone who says they’re not is a two-headed yeti. Their books have won several awards, such as the 2020 Charlotte Huck Award at NCTE. The Underdogs is their debut chapter book series. Kate and Jol live in Sydney, Australia, with their two sons and a dog that thinks it’s a racoon. You can learn more about them all at katejoltemple.com and follow them @KateJolTemple on Instagram.
About the Book: The Underdogs Catch a Cat Burglar
Perfect for fans of comical animal do-gooders like The Bad Guys, The InvestiGators, and The Chicken Squad, this hilarious chapter book series follows a group of bumbling dog detectives and their newest recruit—a cat! In this first case, the Underdogs are hot on the tail of a cat burglar.
Crime is on the rise in Dogtown, and it’s all thanks to a mysterious cat burglar! They’ve stolen everything from handbags to ham sandwiches, and nobody has been able to catch them. Now The Underdog Detective Agency is on the case . . . but as their name might suggest, they aren’t exactly the best sleuths in town.
Barkley and the other dogs at the agency have been in a bit of a slump, but this latest case could turn it all around. So to catch this menacing cat burglar, they may have to do the unthinkable and hire their first-ever cat detective. Enter Fang, a street-smart, one-eyed feline and the newest member of the team.
Being a cat in a dog’s world isn’t easy, but Fang is determined to prove she’s got what it takes. Will Fang and Barkley be able to work together to solve the case and help make Underdogs the top dogs once again? You’ll have to read to find out in this paws-itively hilarious mystery!
Amazon * B&N * IndieBound
About the Book: The Underdogs Fake It Till They Make It
Perfect for fans of comical animal do-gooders like The Bad Guys, The InvestiGators, and The Chicken Squad, this hilarious chapter book series follows a group of bumbling dog detectives and their newest recruit—a cat! In this second case, the Underdogs must sniff out the identity of an art forger.
Crime is on the rise in Dogtown, and it’s all thanks to a mysterious art forger! They’ve stolen one of Puplo Picasso’s masterpieces out of a museum and swapped it with a fake. Such a big case would normally go to the Top Dog detectives, but they’re out of town on vacation . . .
So it’s time to call in the Underdog Detective Agency: with Barkley the German shepherd, Carl the Chihuahua, Dr. Spots the Dalmatian, and Fang . . . the cat. (Yes, a cat!) What the Underdogs lack in skill, they make up for in grit and determination. And they are determined to catch the culprit and prove they are the best sleuths in town.
Can Fang, Barkley, and the others solve the case before the thief strikes again or the Top Dogs return from their trip? You’ll have to read to find out in this paws-itively hilarious mystery!
Amazon * B&N * IndieBound
About the Book: Serve It Up
Perfect for fans of comical animal do-gooders like The Bad Guys, The InvestiGators, and The Chicken Squad, this hilarious chapter book series follows a group of bumbling dog detectives and their newest recruit—a cat! In their third case, the Underdogs must fetch the identity of a tennis ball thief.
Crime is on the rise in Dogtown, and it’s all thanks to a doggone thief! It’s nearly time for the Dogtown Tennis Grand Slam, but all the balls have gone missing. Could Boris Barker, the famed international tennis pro, be behind it all? Or what about Steffi Gruff? Or Novak Dogavic? No matter who the culprit is, if they’re not stopped, the tournament will be ruined.
So it’s time to call in the Underdog Detective Agency: with Barkley the German shepherd, Carl the Chihuahua, Dr. Spots the Dalmatian, and Fang . . . the cat. (Yes, a CAT!) What the Underdogs lack in skill, they make up for in grit and determination. And they jump on the case like a dog with a ball, but can they save the day and serve up the criminal mastermind in time? Or will it be game, set, match? You’ll have to read to find out in this paws-itively hilarious mystery!
Amazon * B&N * IndieBound
~Author Chat~
YABC: What gave you the inspiration to write this book?
Jol: We love detective stories and we love mysteries!
Kate: We also love dogs! So we thought we’d create a place called Dogtown where these bumbling dog detectives are trying to crack the case. The only problem is they’re not very good at their job so that’s when they have a bright idea to hire a cat!
YABC: Who is your favorite character in the book?
Kate: I love Fang! That’s the cat who joins the Underdogs. This is her first job as a detective but she’s smart and she’s great at getting the clues! She only has one eye and I can’t tell you why… it’s a secret.
Jol: My favourite is Carl. He’s the secretary at the Underdogs. He’s a chihuahua and his only job is to answer the phones… only problem is he’s afraid of phones!
YABC: What scene in the book are you most proud of, and why?
Jol: Oh wow. What a question! There’s so many funny scenes in The Underdogs but I have to say, I love all the times the Underdogs go undercover! They have the most ridiculous disguises!
Kate: Totally. Like the time they dress up in huge tennis ball costumes and end up rolling out on to center court in the middle of a bug match!
YABC: What came first, the concept, landscape, characters, or something else?
Kate: Hmm that’s a good question. We had the idea of a cat who joins a dog detective agency first and everything just came from there.
Jol: Then we came up with Dogtown where they all live… but Dogtown is just one place. There’s also Catafornia… and Moo York… Hamsterdam… San Diagoat!
YABC: If you could only write one genre for the rest of your life, what would it be and why?
Jol: Funny books for kids! Hands down or should I say Paws down?
Kate: We love writing funny stuff for kids, but also mysteries and detective stuff where you can follow the clues and crack the case along with the characters is the best.
YABC: How do you keep your ‘voice’ true to the age category you are writing within?
Kate: We always have a really good idea of the characters when we write. We know the kind of things they’d say, it’s like we can hear them.
Jol: We also have a lot of fun when we write The Underdogs and I think that really helps.
YABC: What can readers expect to find in your books?
Kate: Mysteries! Clues! Suspects!
Jol: And a chihuahua that keeps trying to turn the detective agency into a pizza restaurant!
YABC: If you were able to meet them, would you be friends with your main character?
Jol: I would love to meet The Underdogs. If I could hang out with Detective Barkley, he’s the German Shepard who’s the boss of the Underdogs, I think I’d like to hang out with him! Unless he had his trumpet… because he’s a terrible jazz player but that doesn’t stop him! I also don’t think I would like to meet their rivals The Top Dogs. The Top Dogs are super famous and even have their own reality TV show, Real Detectives of Dogtown. They also have their own helicopter and are kind of showoffs.
Kate: For me it would be Dr Spots. She’s a dalmatian and the inventor of the group. Only problem is her inventions are a bit wild and usually don’t work out too well. Also, she has a very good collection of disguises!
Title: The Underdogs Catch a Cat Burglar
Title: The Underdogs Fake It Till They Make It
Title: The Underdogs Serve It Up
Author: Kate and Jol Temple
Illustrator: Shiloh Gordon
Release Date: The Underdogs Serve It Up goes on sale 3/14/2023
Publisher: Penguin Young Readers; Razorbill
ISBN-13: 9780593526965
ISBN-13: 9780593526989
ISBN-13: 9780593527009
Genre: Juvenile Fiction / Chapter Book
Age Range: 6-9
~ Giveaway Details ~
Three (3) winners will receive a copy of the first three books in The Under Dog series (Kate and Jol Temple) ~US Only!
*Click the Rafflecopter link below to enter the giveaway*
My daughter wants a dog!
I love them
Sounds like a series my 4.5yo and 9 yo would enjoy.
These would be a huge hit with the readers at my school! They love chapter book series like this.
wow these look so fun
These look so fun!
These covers are eye-catching and these books sound action-packed.