Monti And Leo: A Mystery In Pocketville by Sylvie Kantorovitz

This second Monti & Leo book finds the two best friends embroiled in a series of conundrums, one light-hearted but one decidedly serious, as collecting mania comes to Pocketville!

Mrs Sheep has generously allowed her collection of figurines to be displayed at the local library. As the Pocketvillians ooh and aah over the scope of her collection, many express an interest in starting up collections of their own. Not of dolls, necessarily, as everyone has their own interests. Leo, for one, already has a collection of neat rocks that he’s proud to show off to Monti.

Everyone is enthusiastically discussing what they intend to collect and sharing their finds with their friends… all except Monti, who can’t seem to decide what interests him the most. But bigger worries are on the horizon for him, when the prize figurine in Mrs Sheep’s collection goes missing. Monti, who’d loudly admired the doll, becomes prime suspect in its disappearance.

Leo is aghast, not only at the aspersions cast on his poor friend but at the doubts that come crowding into his head as a result of Mrs Sheep’s accusations. Determined to quiet all the voices, he sets out to investigate who might have stolen the figurine and why. The path to the truth isn’t straightforward, especially when the figurine seems to be only the first in a series of items missing from the collections of Pocketvillians. Will Leo be able to get to the bottom of things? Will Monti finally be able to figure out what he wants to collect?

This adorable graphic novel for children hits some surprisingly nuanced depths, as Leo wrestles with the concepts of loyalty and innocence. Perhaps most impressive was the accurate but not unkind dissection of Mrs Sheep’s personality, as someone who would unthinkingly lash out and blame an innocent for her own misfortune. It’s very awesome that she gets a chance to make amends for her bad behavior, so readers — especially young ones — can see what a genuine apology from a powerful figure looks like. It also makes it easier for people who find themselves in Mrs Sheep’s predicament to know what to do when they’ve wronged someone.

Sylvie Kantorovitz’s expressive cartoon illustrations are especially charming, and the inclusion of collection suggestions and examples of her own little treasures at the end make this the most Space Gnomely title I’ve read so far this year. Truly a lovely addition to any library that appreciates quality children’s literature.

Monti And Leo: A Mystery In Pocketville by Sylvie Kantorovitz was published February 4 2025 by Walker Books US and is available from all good booksellers, including