Ace Lacewing, Bug Detective

Written & Illustrated by: David Biedrzycki Fear not, Motham City—Ace is on the case! Here's the buzz on Ace Lacewing: he's tall, handsome, and has two antennae. When Queenie Bee goes missing, Ace is hot on the honey trail. With his gal, the lovely Dr. Xerces Blue, and his trusty sidekick, police sergeant Zito the mosquito, Ace combs Motham City for clues. The suspects are piling up, including public enemy number one, Al the Drone. Will Ace find Queenie Bee before it’s too late? In this clever, bug-tacular, version of the classic detective story, the clues fly as fast as the puns. Young readers will be buzzing to help Ace solve the case. Listen to David talk about his books on Charlesbridge Unplugged. If you like this book, you’ll enjoy these: Ace Lacewing, Bug Detective: The Big Swat What REALLY Happened to Humpty? The Crown Affair [TABS] Look Inside Author & Illustrator David Biedrzycki, author & illustrator Enter Author bio here. David Biedrzycki has been creating illustrations for book publishers, advertising agencies, magazines, and design firms since 1980. His art has graced the cover of KidSoft magazine, New England Aquarium billboards and children's software packaging, such as "The Amazon Trail" and "Odell Down Under." His clients include Celestial Seasonings®, After the Fall Juices(tm), IBM, and Newsweek. Read more about David Biedrzycki. Awards & Honors IRA Children's Book Award Notables Bank Street College of Education's Best Books of the Year Editorial Reviews Kirkus Reviews His bright yellow trench coat lighting up the tenebrous mean streets of Motham City, crack gumshoe Ace Lacewing swoops into action when Hive Rise Honey Company's Queenie Bee goes missing. Could the culprit be Smooch the Assassin Bug? Unsavory honey magnate Al the Drone? With help from police sergeant Zito the Mosquito and considerably more from blue-winged bombshell Xerces Blue, Ace proceeds to find out--though not before a visit to the deadly Beetle Zoo and some close encounters with praying mantis thugs nearly put Lacewing's lights out for good. Biedrzycki depicts his chitinous crew in high-gloss digital glam, strews puns and sight gags with abandon and finally sends his hardboiled hero off for a well-earned, post-dénouement platter of aphids á la mode. Fans of Doug Cushman's Mystery at the Club Sandwich (Houghton Mifflin Harcourt) and similar capers will happily sink their mandibles into this buggy brouhaha. School Library Journal Motham City is abuzz with the kidnapping of Queenie Bee, and Ace Lacewing, the Sam Spade of insects, is on the case. His motto is, "Bad bugs are my business." Lacewing follows the trail of honey with the help of his gal, Doctor Xerces Blue, and Sergeant Zito, a mosquito. A motley (and sometimes molting) assortment of suspects is questioned. Their character traits are based on facts: "The roaches said of course they ran from the scene of the crime--it was their nature to scatter when the lights go on." Puns and wordplay abound: "I've known him ever since we were pupae at the same school"; "The full moon hung in the sky like a large compound eye..." The digitally enhanced illustrations evoke a film noir atmosphere, with moody blue and black backgrounds. The pages are also brimming with humorous details such as glowworm street lamps, "Bug Off" police tape, and "Slow Larvae" road signs. This clever parody of hard-boiled detective stories is sure to tickle readers' thorax. Downloadables Download the Cover Download the Activity Kit Details Hardcover ISBN: 978-1-57091-569-7 Paperback ISBN: 978-1-57091-684-7 E-book PDF ISBN: 978-1-60734-162-8 Ages: 5-9 Page count: 40 10 x 10 [/TABS]