The Pinchers and the Dog Chase

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Author(s)

Anders Sparring

Co-Authors / Illustrators

Per Gustavsson

Publisher

Gecko Press

Genre(s)

Age Range

Release Date

September 10, 2024

ISBN

9781776575879

Buy This Book

In this slapstick illustrated crime adventure, the honest Theo Pincher, who doesn't fit into his family of criminals, finds a clever way to save the family dog, Sherlock, from the nasty new police officer.

The new police officer, Clive, is not nice—even the other police are afraid of him. Everything, even the dog, must have a receipt to prove there's no stealing going on. Things without receipts are locked up.

Of course, Theo's family doesn't have a receipt for anything, especially not for their dog Sherlock. When Sherlock is caught, Theo makes a plan to get him back using cooking oil, a dog onesie, and cunning—a plan so good even Theo's family is impressed.

This criminally funny tale contains a break-in at the candy store, an interrogation, and comical commentary from the dog, who thinks his name is Shuddup Sherlock.

Editor review

1 review

A humorous, thieving family

September 21, 2024

Overall rating

4.0

Plot

4.0

Characters

4.0

Writing Style

4.0

Illustrations/Photos (if applicable)

N/A

What worked:
This fast-paced story will appeal to younger or emerging readers. The opening pages describe Theo’s family and their different criminal interests. His grandmother is a retired thief and she’s serving time in the jail. Various chapters throughout the book find the pet dog speaking directly to readers. He explains how he gets the name Shuddup Sherlock (because of his barking) and he offers a different perspective when Officer Clive, a new policeman, tries to ship him off to the North Pole. This conflict becomes the focus of the plot. Theo is an appealing character since he’s trying to live an honest life even though the rest of his family members are criminals, even his little sister. Theo dresses like the rest of his family, striped shirt plus a mask covering his eyes, so Officer Clive assumes he’s a crook too. Theo resorts to trickery to save his dog rather than doing anything illegal.
Almost every page has a color picture to help young readers envision what’s being described. The author’s light-hearted tone reflects the humor of the characters and their relationships. Theo’s little sister doesn’t understand why she should pay money for anything she can steal and she continuously crosses her fingers to cover up frequent lies. Interestingly, a policeman lives next door to the Pincher’s home and he’s a good friend to Theo. Theo’s grandma, Stola Pincher, is spending her time in jail but the loose visitation rules and enforcement make it seem more like an apartment.
What didn’t work as well:
The plot is very basic and more-capable readers will probably feel it falls short. It doesn’t have much tension or suspense. There’s little character development and the plot doesn’t have any surprising twists but that makes the story more appropriate for readers trying to develop their skills.
The final verdict:
Most young readers will be able to quickly finish this pleasant book. They’ll be entertained by the levity of the story and characters and the pictures illustrate the amusing situations. Overall, I recommend you give this book a shot.