Captain Coconut and the Case of the Missing Bananas

by Anushka Ravishankar, Priya Sundram (Illustrator)

Meet the ace detective Captain Coconut, whose great brain can solve any mystery, large or small. In The Case of the Missing Bananas, Captain Coconut finds himself on a slippery trail of peels and numbers. A detective tale that grips the reader's attention with its innovative illustrations and humorous raveling and unraveling of clues and numbers! This is the first book in the Captain Coconut series.

Genres: Graphic Novels, Mystery, Humor, Childrens, Middle Grade, India, Picture Books

96 pages, Hardcover

First published June 9, 2015

About the author

Anushka Ravishankar, a mathematics graduate, has made a name for herself internationally as an Indian children’s writer, with over 10 books of verse, fiction and non-fiction. Her special talent is in the area of nonsense verse, where she brilliantly adapts this difficult genre to Indian English usage, without a false note. Anushka Ravishankar can be said to have pioneered the Indian English nonsense verse form and brought it to international attention. She recently returned from a UK tour with Children’s Laureate, Michael Rosen, at the Children’s Bookshow.

from http://www.tarabooks.com/about/authors/

Reviews

[João Teixeira · Rating 3 out of 5]

A técnica de ilustração aplicada neste livro é muito interessante. A história é um pouco limitada e repetitiva. Acho que a história ganharia em ser menos "tonta", ainda que seja mesmo esse o objectivo...

[Rebecca Flowers · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was weird and funny and had the word diarrhea in it multiple times, so kids will love it! Captain Coconut is a brilliant detective who is actually pretty clueless. As bananas go missing, he investigates the clues and does a little math along the way. It'a a bit early chapter book and a bit graphic novel and a whole lot of fun. Captain Coconut, the Amelia Bedelia of India.

[Autumn Lem · Rating 4 out of 5]

This ridiculous book would be good for fans of The Adventures of Captain Underpants because the humor is similar. The illustrations are wonderful and interesting.

[Jenny Marcelene · Rating 4 out of 5]

Captain Coconut & the Case of the Missing Bananas is the perfect dose of silly while still folding in mystery, math, singing, and culture for young readers.

Brief overview:
Detective Captain Coconut helps Mrs. Y figure out what happened to her missing bananas.

Recommended age range: 6-9

Strengths:
A graphic novel that works well for chapter book-aged readers (especially if parents read it with their child!)
Weaves cultural elements into the storyline in fun ways.
The illustrations add to the silliness and engage young readers.

Additional Notes:
The recommended age listed is 8-12 but I think a younger audience would do better with this book.
Won the 2013 Best Children's Publisher of the Year in Asia award.

[Marissa · Rating 4 out of 5]

A silly math story about missing bananas. The math is easy addition and subtraction, but the words are a little higher level. Kids will enjoy following along and knowing more than the characters. Interesting collage art style.

[Amanda · Rating 4 out of 5]

My 7 year old gave the 4 rating, saying she thinks mothers and fathers wouldn't like it very much. I think it's a fun book with math, a very silly set of characters, and cool graphics.

[Julie · Rating 3 out of 5]

It would have gotten more stars without the diarrhea.

[Anne · Rating 5 out of 5]

Delightful and funny!

[Stephanie Carter · Rating 2 out of 5]

I’d say this is a graphic novel for early readers. It is goofy and weird and kids will think Captain Coconut is hilarious. I recommend for grades 2-3.

[Akshara · Rating 4 out of 5]

I like the pictures they were a bit funny . I liked captain Coconut but didn't like the way he calculated in a calculator.

[Bobby · Rating 4 out of 5]

Funny, but a terrible tale. Great to read with your kids!

[Drew · Rating 3 out of 5]

A nice, quick, silly mystery with some really cool visuals!

[Susana Silva · Rating 4 out of 5]

i read this to my little brother and honestly this is so cute, i love it!

[Pam · Rating 3 out of 5]

Captain Coconut solves the case when Mrs. Y calls and tells him she is missing bananas. He uses math to determine how many are missing from the bunch.
NOTE: Digestive issues are referenced as he solves the case.

[Teresa Scherping Moulton · Rating 3 out of 5]

Captain Coconut is a famous detective, renowned for his brilliant brainwaves, having the memory of an elephant, and the dogged determination he has to solve every case. He is so cunning that he put a lock on his office door that cannot be opened with any key, which unfortunately means that he needs to kick down the door. When he receives a garbled message containing the words "missing" and "banana," only he can figure out what it means - bananas have gone missing! This case will challenge both his detective instincts and his math skills, but surely Captain Coconut will triumph in the end!

This was definitely a bit quirky, but those who like funny mysteries will enjoy it. The math used throughout the story adds another dimension, although it is on the easy end of arithmetic. I was also amused by the...musical interludes? that happen at different points during the story, where song lyrics praising Captain Coconut are included.

I would recommend this book to grades 2-3, especially those who like both humor and mystery. A great readalike for this would be the Murilla Gorilla books by Jennifer Lloyd.

[Samantha · Rating 3 out of 5]

Captain Coconut is a detective. When he receives a garbled phone call on his answering machine, he is thrust into a case involving missing bananas. Using math and logical reasoning combined with observation he solves the case all the while presenting the information he deems important so that the readers can solve the case too (maybe before he does)!

The story is quirky and appealing, but I LOVE the artwork! Mixed media collage combines photos and makes heavy use of color and patterns. Chapters are broken up by song interludes that brought to mind children's programs in that the songs feature the main character and are light in tone, cleansing the reader's palate before diving back into the case.

The problem solving and math equations Captain Coconut writes in his notebook reminded me of the Lemonade War series in the best way, and make this a recommended pleasure read that does double duty as a skill builder.

Recommended for grades 3-5.

[Nikki · Rating 3 out of 5]

Would be a good graphic novel to recommend to emergent readers.

[Katie Lawrence · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a very quirky book about a detective trying to find missing bananas. I loved the mixed media illustrations, what fun! The inclusion of math and some Indian culture was great as well. I'd be curious to try this with some students just to see what they think before buying a copy for my library... There was some bathroom humor which is always popular... At times I wondered if my students would enjoy how quirky this was though. We shall see! I thought it was a quick, entertaining little read.

[Marcia · Rating 2 out of 5]

This was my JLG mystery selection this month. It is a very quirky story, with a simple mystery surrounding the disappearance of some bananas. A graphic novel of sorts, the illustrations are distinctive. Written by an Indian author, with Indian characters, it adds to the diversity of the library. But a story about missing bananas, with a kooky detective named Captain Coconut, and a case of diarrhea is an important clue? Not for me. We'll see if there are any kid takers.

[Sarah Sammis · Rating 4 out of 5]

Captain Coconut and the Case of the Missing Bananas by Anushka Ravishankar with illustrations by Priya Sundram is a mathematical mystery involving a missing bunch of bananas, done as a comic book with panels made from collages. It feels like it should be part of a series but it's a standalone.

http://www.pussreboots.pair.com/blog/...

[Abby Johnson · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a funny little mystery story about a detective in India called upon to solve a case of missing bananas. The illustrations incorporate photos and patterned paper in an appealing way. I'm not sure I would call this a graphic novel, but it definitely has some interesting graphic elements to it. There's not a lot of text and the story is pretty wacky and silly.

[Beth Vredenburg · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is a little noir, a lot Bollywood- with pages dedicated to songs about Captain Coconut's brilliance and influenced by sixties mod culture - James Bond for sure! It all equals ridiculous fun with a little bit of math! First in a series

[ISLN (Int'l School Library Network) Singapore]

Captain Coconut has a very big brain, so he must be able to solve any mystery, including the disappearance of some bananas. (India)

[Marcie · Rating 3 out of 5]

I can see the illustrations are by a mathematician, but I will need to read it again later, because I got way lost, not in a good way. Perhaps it was my reading it in Sam's.

[Sean · Rating 1 out of 5]

I am sure I have students who will love the absurdist humor of this book, but it was lost on me.

[Crystal · Rating 3 out of 5]

Quite a strange little book, but I think it will have silliness appeal. It is a mystery, but has some bathroom humor to go along with it. I found the illustrations fun.

[Laresa · Rating 3 out of 5]

Cute book about a detective solving a mystery of missing bananas.

[Tiffany · Rating 3 out of 5]

Very interesting little "graphic novel." I'm not sure what I think about it. The humor is very dry. I'll be interested in how what my students think.

[Pamela Powell · Rating 3 out of 5]

Cute book. Captain Coconut is a bit flaky (pun intended) but he's fun.

[Alice · Rating 2 out of 5]

I have a feeling this book loses a lot in the translation.