You’ll meet lots of friendly animals and help them “solve” a mystery in both of these superb picture books. Mysteries are all about questions. The Box evokes the questions “Who’s in the box? How did they get here? And why won’t they come out?” While The Thingamajig will have readers asking “What is it? Where is it? And who took it?”

The Box, written by Isabella Paglia and illustrated by Paolo Proietti, was originally published in Italy in 2020, but has since been published in the US, in 2022, by Eerdmans Books for Young Readers. When a box appears in the forest, the animal residents are baffled and full of questions, especially when they realize that someone is hiding inside. Who could this mysterious stranger be? They try diligently to welcome the little creature and to coax them out of the box, but nothing works, not even an entertaining show or a party. Only after the concerned animals rescue the box and its frightened occupant from the pouring rain of a thunderstorm, does the mystery creature finally feel comfortable enough to emerge.

At its heart, this story is about friendship, kindness, and patience. All of the adorable animals–Bear, Fox, Rabbit, Squirrel, and Owl–are sweet and thoughtful and work together to make sure that their guest feels safe and comfortable. They don’t abandon the box, but they don’t push either, which allows the creature to come out at their own pace. The pastel, chalk, and watercolor illustrations are rendered in pale earth-tones, which adds to the soft, gentle feel of the over all story. You’ll have to read the book to discover who the animals’ mysterious new friend is.

The Thingamajig, written and illustrated by Rilla Alexander, was published by Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers in 2024. When Little Elephant’s parent loses something, Little Elephant springs to action and goes on a hunt to find the missing thing-a-ma-jig. Along the way, they meet other animals who have lost things as well. Bird lost a hoo-zee-wots-it. Butterfly lost a doop-ee-dit. And Rabbit lost a yoke-a-me-bob. Snail, Bee, Squirrel, and the group of ladybugs have all lost something too. So Little Elephant and the others search together for all of the missing, oddly named things. But Frog thinks there may be a thief in the neighborhood and asks each of them to describe their missing item. What could their mysterious items (or item) be? Will Little Elephant ever find the thing-a-ma-jig? And can Little Elephant help his animal friends find suitable replacements for their lost doohickeys? Read the book to find out!

This story, that cleverly begins on the first endpaper, is fun, lively, and bursting with bold, bright colors and cute, whimsical animals. The illustrations, which really pop off the page, were created with collaged photographs and hand-cut rubber stamps. Sharp-eyed readers will notice a few “hidden” items spread throughout the book that might just be the perfect alternatives to the animals’ lost things. Interesting back matter introduces the unique words that other countries use to describe something they don’t know the name for, such as Japan’s “na-nee na-nee” and Australia’s “doo-va-la-kee.” I’m partial to “thing-a-ma-bob” myself. 🙂 Lastly, young readers will love discovering a different cover underneath the book jacket.

Put on your Sherlock Holmes hats, grab your magnifying glasses, and enjoy reading (and solving) these two great mystery picture books, one quiet and one energetic, with your kids!

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