Ra the Mighty: Cat Detective

Ra the Mighty: Cat Detective #1

by Amy Butler Greenfield, Sarah Horne (Illustrator)

An egotistical royal cat and his dung beetle sidekick track a jewelry thief in this hilarious new series set in ancient Egypt.

Can a lazy cat and a dung-obsessed beetle really crack a mystery? Ra relishes his role as the Pharaoh's beloved—and spoiled—cat. So when an amulet goes missing from the palace, Ra has no interest in solving the mystery. He would rather enjoy his snacks and nap in the warm Egyptian sun. But Ra's friend Khepri, a wise and industrious scarab beetle, insists on investigating in order to save the young servant girl who has been framed for the crime. Once Ra gets going, he decides that being a Great Detective isn't so bad; in fact, he doesn't mind being hailed as “Protector of the Weak and Defender of Justice.” The comically mismatched duo is on the case!

Wacky illustrations with fun historical details bring these oddball characters to life. Includes a glossary, pronunciation guide, and detailed author's note.

Genres: Mystery, Middle Grade, Historical Fiction, Animals, Humor, Childrens, Fiction

224 pages, Hardcover

First published September 18, 2018

About the author

Amy Butler Greenfield was a grad student in history when she gave into temptation and became a writer. Since then, she has become an award-winning author.

Amy grew up in the Adirondack Mountains and later studied history at Williams College, the University of Wisconsin-Madison, and Oxford. She now lives with her family in England, where she writes, bakes double-dark-chocolate cake, and plots mischief.

Reviews

[Sonja Rosa Lisa ♡ · Rating 4 out of 5]

Der erste Band dieser Katzendetektivreihe für Kinder ab neun.
Wir befinden uns im Alten Ägypten im Palast des Pharaos. Hauptcharaktere sind die Lieblingskatze des Pharaos - Ra - sowie Ras Freund Khepri, ein Skarabäuskäfer. Dieses sehr ungleiche Duo nimmt die Ermittlungsarbeit auf, als ein Küchenmädchen des Diebstahls an einem wertvollen Schmuckstück beschuldigt wird.
💙 Die Geschichte ist herrlich schräg, was nicht zuletzt an Ra und Khepri liegt, die beide wirklich einzigartig sind! Ra wirkt zunächst noch ein wenig überheblich und eingebildet, da er eben der Lieblingskater des Pharaos ist, aber er macht im Buch eine durchaus positive Entwicklung durch. Die Geschichte wird auch aus seiner Sicht erzählt.
Ich hatte viel Spaß mit diesem Kinderkrimi und freue mich darüber, dass es noch weitere Bände gibt, die ich noch entdecken kann :)

[Dee · Rating 5 out of 5]

” When my adventures began, crime was the last thing on my mind”



As I came across this beautiful cover and strong title, I was very pleased to read the description of what I may find within! The words “egotistical cat”, “lazy” and “spoiled” grabbed my attention and I couldn’t wait to read more about this Detective Cat situation!
Firstly, I was intrigued and impressed. As I am a person who is fortunate enough to be of service to one of these fine creatures, I spared no horses in wanting to find any way I could improve my service. I have deducted that more snacks are the answer as food is a constant worry of our feline friends!
May I be spared my rulers wrath if I amend my ways fast!

This lovely story of the Pharaohs cat and sidekick Dung beetle was a complete joy to read. The comical commentary between these two characters is ridiculously entertaining. We are also introduced to a number of other characters and each one has their own quirky and suspicious elements!.
This story transports us to the magical land of Egypt and its wonders, where trouble lurks around every corner and statue waiting to be discovered.

A 'who done it' story that leaves us guessing until the very end.

I found this very clever and even though the author Sarah Horne has written a work of fiction, she has incorporated facts about Egypt providing great learning material.
These gorgeous illustrations within will bring a smile to kids and adults alike.

“But I am Ra The Mighty, Pharaohs cat, as brave as a lion and twice as fierce!”

With 23 short chapters and a list of sources for further reading its fun for any age range. Even more good news! If you enjoy this, then this is the first in the series. There are two more story’s to enjoy.
This story opens with a question “can a lazy cat and a dung-obsessed beetle really crack a mystery?”

Grab a copy and find out!


*disclosure* This book and review has been read and stamped with a paw of approval. It was given 5* by my Gentleman Cat. He hopes that there will be more mention of snacks and naps in the second instalment. There should always be room for improvement in these circumstances.

[Faith · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm really enjoying this series. Just like the second book (which we accidentally read first) this is cute and funny, with a good detective mystery and a little bit of background on how things worked in ancient Egypt. I kinda wished we got to see how Ra and Kepri met, but oh well :)

[Barb in Maryland · Rating 4 out of 5]

So cute, so clever. 7 year old me would have loved it, 70 year old me thought it was well written, funny, and a darn good mystery.
Ra the Mighty, Pharaoh's Cat, is a very spoiled beast--only the best for him, especially when it comes to food! Fortunately, Ra has a very good friend, a scarab beetle named Khepri, whose does his best to keep Ra's ego in check.
Their first case as detective and side-kick is to find the thief who stole a royal amulet--the Eye of Horus. They need to find the real thief in order to keep a young servant girl out of Pharaoh's prison.
Lots of action, some clever sleuthing lead to the big reveal of the guilty party. Case solved, mission accomplished!!
The historical parts seem to be well researched. The copious illustrations are fun. I'm ready for the next one--bring it on.
This book was recently nominated for an Edgar award (Juvenile category) by the Mystery Writers of America and that is how it came to my attention. See, reading prize nomination lists can lead to some Mighty fine books. Meow.

[Momentansicht · Rating 5 out of 5]

Der eitle Kater Ra, Lieblingskatze des Pharaos, liebt sein ruhiges, entspanntes Leben: schlafen, essen, dösen, sich streicheln lassen, essen, schlafen. Doch plötzlich verschwindet im Palast ein Amulett. Ra kümmert sich nicht weiter darum, doch sein Freund Khepri, ein kleiner Skarabäuskäfer, besteht darauf, den Fall zu lösen und spannt Ra direkt mit ein.
Eine spannende, lustige und informative Geschichte aus dem alten Ägypten. Dieser Krimi macht Lust auf mehr Fälle dieses ungleichen Duos. Zum Vorlesen ab 7 Jahren, ab 8 Jahren zum Selbstlesen.

[Lauralee · Rating 3 out of 5]

Eine schöne Idee, deren Umsetzung mich allerdings nicht vollständig überzeugen konnte.

Ra ist der Kater des Pharaos im alten Ägypten, wird entsprechend verhätschelt und hält sich für unheimlich wichtig, obwohl er eigentlich vor allem faul, egoistisch und nicht besonders clever ist. Das soll sicher komisch wirken, ging mir aber ziemlich schnell auf die Nerven. Für mich ist er von Anfang an ein eher unsympathischer Protagonist, der leider auch keine nennenswerte Entwicklung zum Besseren durchläuft.
Insgesamt hatte ich Schwierigkeiten mit dem Humor in dieser Geschichte. Jetzt liege ich natürlich deutlich über dem Alter der angepeilten Zielgruppe, aber auf mich wirkten die Gags sehr erzwungen, flach und wiederholend. Über die ach so wichtige Position des Meisters der königlichen Lendenschurze und die ständige Betonung der Vorliebe eines Mistkäfers für Dung konnte ich schon beim dritten Mal nur noch müde die Augen verdrehen und es wurde ständig weiter überstrapaziert.

Der Fall an sich - ein verschwundenes Amulett und ein zu Unrecht beschuldigtes Dienstmädchen - war nett erfunden. Noch schöner hätte ich gefunden, wenn die Spurensuche entweder actionreicher gestaltet worden wäre oder die Detektivarbeit so, dass man als Leser eine Chance hat, ernsthaft mitzurätseln. Im Buch liegt der Fokus auf der Hinweissuche, und die Auflösung hat mir auch wirklich gut gefallen, aber der einzige Hinweis, mit dem man es wirklich rauskriegen kann, erfolgt erst ganz zum Schluss und wird auch sofort als solcher gekennzeichnet, wenn auch nicht gleich aufgelöst. Man weiß also, wann man es wissen kann, und ist damit nur wenige Seiten schneller als Ra (der natürlich bis zum Schluss gar nichts kapiert).

[Jürgen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sehr schönes Kinderbuch, nach m.M. am besten geeignet für die Zielgruppe 08-12-jährige. Eine nette, angemessen spannende Geschichte, auch mit tiefergehenden Elementen: Fragen der Loyalität, Vorurteilen, Umgang mit Macht. Ich hätte mir eine Spur mehr Infos zum alten Ägypten gewünscht, zu Göttern, Lebensweise der Menschen, Essen, Musik, Kultur... Man hätte gut an der einen oder anderen Stelle Infos einbauen können. So blieb der ägyptische Hintergrund der Story für mich blaß. Das wäre der fünfte Stern gewesen. Aber nochmal: eine nette Geschichte, die man gut auch vor dem Einschlafen lesen kann.

Lese es gerade nochmal, jetzt mit meiner 6-jährigen Tochter und sie ist sehr angetan von der Geschichte. Bisher also "Daumen hoch" für Ra und sein Team.

[Dolly · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the first book in the Ra The Mighty Cat Detective series by Amy Butler Greenfield.

The story depicts life for those who live and work in the Pharoah's household. The mystery is engaging and the reader learns about life in ancient Egypt in an entertaining way.

The story is appropriate for older elementary school-age children. I will look for the subsequent stories at our local library.

[Analie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Purrfect for elementary readers or adults who want a cute story! This very fun tale features a royal cat, his sidekick friend who is a scarab beetle, and a dash of mystery with a lesson about learning who your real friends are. I'm going to recommend it to a family member who teaches 2nd grade.

[Ro · Rating 3 out of 5]

Mystery was a little all over the place. And after the mystery, there was too much left. I liked the plot twist.

[Heather · Rating 4 out of 5]

Cute middle grade historical mystery. Purrfect for animal loving kids.

[Ms. St. Jean]

(Goodreads blurb)

An egotistical royal cat and his dung beetle sidekick track a jewelry thief in this hilarious new series set in ancient Egypt.

Can a lazy cat and a dung-obsessed beetle really crack a mystery? Ra relishes his role as the Pharaoh's beloved—and spoiled—cat. So when an amulet goes missing from the palace, Ra has no interest in solving the mystery. He would rather enjoy his snacks and nap in the warm Egyptian sun. But Ra's friend Khepri, a wise and industrious scarab beetle, insists on investigating in order to save the young servant girl who has been framed for the crime. Once Ra gets going, he decides that being a Great Detective isn't so bad; in fact, he doesn't mind being hailed as “Protector of the Weak and Defender of Justice.” The comically mismatched duo is on the case!

Wacky illustrations with fun historical details bring these oddball characters to life. Includes a glossary, pronunciation guide, and detailed author's note.

[Anna Cała · Rating 3 out of 5]

Ode mnie 3 gwiazdki, ale dziecię (lat 7), któremu czytałam, daje 4,5.

[Jill · Rating 4 out of 5]

Cute little mystery. Was a fun read aloud with my kids in a year that we're studying ancient history.

[Elizabeth Santelmann · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is such a cute little mystery set in ancient Egypt! Our 5th grader is loving it!

[Nan · Rating 3 out of 5]

DNF, was considering this book for our one book one school program. However, didn’t appeal enough.

[Lucy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Amazing book! I loved it! Very excited for the next one!

[Tracy Smith · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wasn't sure if I would enjoy this at first - it was slow going for a bit and I didn't care for the pampered cat who wouldn't do a thing! But the character developed as the story went along, and there was plenty of fun information about Egypt and Pharaoh's household.

[Barb · Rating 5 out of 5]

What an awesome book, it was hilarious!! Loved the thinking of the Dung beetle! Perfect for kids!!!!

[Megan (ReadingRover) · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars

[Tasha · Rating 3 out of 5]

Ra is priceless he is the kind of cat l want to be. Snacks and long naps by the pool. But when a mystery is brought to his attention even though he does not want to he and his dung beetle friend wind up solving it.

[Irrlicht · Rating 3 out of 5]

Also, der Vorleser (Dietmar Bär) ist phänomenal, aber dafür, dass ich eigentlich ein Buch gesucht habe, bei dem mich mal nichts aufregt, hat das eher nicht so super funktioniert.

[Catherine · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ra, the Pharoah’s cat, lazes around by the pool each day while waiting to be served snacks. His friend Khepri, a scarab beetle, encourages him to find something to do besides being spoiled. When Miu, a lowly kitchen cat, seeks Ra’s help in solving a crime he is very reluctant to help until Khepri threatens to put dung in his snacks if he doesn’t. Ra is sure that he will be a great detective and sets out to prove that Tidimut, a servant child, did not steal an amulet from the Pharaoh’s Great Wife. In the end the crime is solved and although Ra gets all the credit, readers know it was really Khepri who is the great detective. This is a fun mystery set in an exotic location that will appeal to fans of ancient Egypt. The plentiful pen and ink digital illustrations bring the characters to life. Here’s hoping there will be more mysteries to come!

[Julia · Rating 4 out of 5]

Der große Ra ist der Kater des Pharaos. Ein ziemlich fauler, verwöhnter Kater.

Ra lässt sich von seinem Freund Khepri dazu überreden, der Küchenkatze und ihrer Menschenfreundin zu helfen. Dem Mädchen wird vorgeworfen, ein Amulett der Frau des Pharaos gestohlen zu haben.

Kater und Mistkäfer machen sich also daran, in Sherlock Holmes und Dr Watson Manier, den Diebstahl aufzuklären und das Mädchen von allen Vorwürfen zu befreien.

Ein schönes und gut geschriebenes Abenteuer für junge Detektive!

[Annina Luck Wildermuth · Rating 4 out of 5]

Well done and unputdownable. Great chemistry between the cat detective and his dung beetle "side kick" and you learn a lot about Ancient Egypt in a fun way. Illustrations are interesting and there could have been a few more towards the end.

[Alex Kartak · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ra the mighty Cat detective is about the Pharoah's cat, Ra, and his two newfound friends in an Egyptian Palace. Ra is known as a lazy cat who just eats, but when he got put up with an actual challenge, he proved to be a little more useful. The story begins with Ra eating his many snacks with his scarab beetle friend, Khepri, and a kitchen cat named Miu. Miu sneaks her way into the Pharoah's quarters because her friend, Tedimut, was being persecuted as the theft of the Eye of Horus, which is given to Pharoah's wife. Miu came to Ra because he knows the ins and the outs of the palace, while Miu belongs in the kitchen. Ra is very much not pleased with being asked for help, until Khepri makes a deal with him that if Ra doesn't figure out the problem, Khepri will put dung in all of Ra's snacks for a week. Ra agreed and they start their investigation. They first find out where Tedimut is hiding, and then they try to find out the culprit. Ra and Miu think it will be a human, but in the end Khepri is the real detective and figures out the whole mystery.

I won't spoil, but it is not who I expected at all. I really got hooked on this book, and that is saying something because I am not a big reader. I really wanted to know who stole the Eye of Horus and what their motives were. I really liked the way the author/illustrator introduced new characters. When a new character was announced, there was usually a page with an illustration of what animal or human that was announced with their name in the description. I also really loved the ending because it was such a shock to me, but after hearing the motives, I totally understood why he/she stole the Great Wife's necklace, which turned out to not even be hers in the first place.

I would have this in my classroom for grades 3+ because it is 200 pages, but text is pretty big and language was easy. I could assign this as a book report or even have the students read one or two chapters a day and either have questions on that chapter or have them write a summary explaining what they had just read. But I hope this book will hook the students just like it hooked me.

*Ra could talk with the other animals, but humans didn't understand, so when Ra was doing investigations, you can infer that most were spying on humans or talking to other animals.*

[Lavendel KnowsBest · Rating 4 out of 5]

Der schwarze Kater Ra ist der offizielle Kater des Pharaos im alten Ägypten und könnte damit kein besseres Leben führen. Den ganzen Tag so viel Schlaf und Futter, wie die prädestinierte Samtpfote möchte. Doch dann setzt ihn sein befreundeter Skarabäus auf den Fall des verschwundenen Armbands der Königin an, für den eine unschuldige, kleine Dienerin beschuldigt wird.

Das bunte und niedliche Cover hatte direkt meine Aufmerksamkeit gefangen. Außerdem gefiel mir die Idee eines Katzenkrimis in der Kinderbuchvariante. Dass die Geschichte im alten Ägypten spielen würde, war da auch noch das Sahnehäubchen.

Ra ist ein sehr verwöhnter Kater und denkt zunächst nur an sich, doch dann kommt sein Dung-liebender Käferkumpel vorbei und berichtet ihm vom verschwundenen Amulett der Königin. Gemeinsam befragen sie die Angeklagte und einige tierische Bewohner des Palastes. Ihr Spürsinn für Gerechtigkeit ist geweckt und so ermitteln die beiden.

Ich fand Ra wirklich süß und liebenswert. Der Kater entdeckt nach seiner Vorliebe für Futter auch noch sein weiches Herz und vor allem seinen Mut. Das war wirklich niedlich und unterhaltsam gemacht.

Die tierischen Nebenfiguren waren sehr exotisch und das gefiel mir gut. Überhaupt war das Altägyptische Setting sehr atmosphärisch und besonders, was ein großer Pluspunkt war.
Die Geschichte ist nicht unbedingt ein klassischer Krimi, bei dem man vor lauter Spannung aus dem Sessel kippen würde, aber die Auflösung war überraschend und gut gemacht.

Das Kinderbuch wurde von Dietmar Bär eingelesen und umfasst knapp 4h. Der Schauspieler macht seinen Job sehr gut und ich lauschte ihm wirklich gerne. Ich kann mir gut vorstellen, dass es noch weitere Teile zur ermittelnde Katze des Pharaos geben wird, dafür ist die Idee und das Setting einfach zu gut.
"Ein Fall für Katzendetektiv Ra" von Amy Butler Greenfield ist ein origineller Kinderbuchkrimi mit einem Ermittler auf Samtpfoten. Das Setting ist wirklich klasse und es machte Spaß, die exotischen Charaktere zu entdecken.

[book_matula · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ra Wszechmocny. Kot detektyw. Tom 1


Uwaga kociarze, jak i pasjonaci historii detektywistycznych przed Wami książka, dla której warto zainwestować w wolny weekend z dziećmi przy gorącym kubku kakao. Już od pierwszej strony stwierdziłam z moją Helą, że kot Ra to identyczny leniuch, jak i ona. Obydwoje leżeliby do późna w łóżku już nie wspomnę o przyjmowaniu pokarmu w taki sposób, żeby tylko nie trzeba było łapać tego w rękę. Ra to kot Faraona istny pupil nie tylko jego, ale i otoczenia. Chciał/abyś dowiedzieć się, kim jest przyjaciel Ra? Uwaga zatrzymaj się, bo przed wami skarabeusz Chepri, który oprócz dobrych rad i pomocy uwielbia, a raczej ma obsesje na punkcie…
Uwaga przygotować się! A więc ma obsesje na punkcie łajna! Czymże byłaby książka detektywistyczna, gdyby pewna zagadka do rozwiązania?! Przed wami szereg ciekawych, śmiesznych sytuacji, które rozbawią każdego. Mam przyjemność przedstawić Wam kotkę, która wywróci świat naszych bohaterów do góry nogami, ale ile będzie przy tym zabawy, ucieczki, skrywania się to już zostawiam do Waszego poznania. Czytasz i masz wrażenie, że gorące powietrze muska cię po twarzy. Rewelacyjnym dodatkiem, które na pewno doda tego zdrowego zainteresowania to cudowne ilustracje, które bawią. Sprawiedliwość, upór, zaufanie i dążenie do celu to coś, co opisuje tę książkę. Jak często jesteśmy w stanie zbyt pochopnie ocenić kogoś tylko dlatego, że sytuacja idealnie nam pasuje do danej chwili?
Oj tutaj przekonasz się, że czasem lepiej dać sobie na wstrzymanie i na spokojnie podejść do tematu. Ile są w stanie zrobić dwa koty, chrabąszcz, żeby uratować dobre imię dziewczynki, która jest posądzona o kradzież drogocennego amuletu… ups… Ok już nic więcej nie zdradzę.
Już niebawem drugi tom serii przygód Kota Ra i jego towarzyszy, więc z całego serca zachęcamy z Helenką do nadrobienia. Podpowiem, że koniec na pewno zaskoczy nie tylko dziecko, ale i dorosłego.

[Tim O'neill · Rating 2 out of 5]

I appreciated the effort to meld all the trappings of the traditional mystery book with both an all-animals-can-communicate-with-each-other book and with Egyptian history. And I really enjoyed finding out that th’author was inspyred by a sculpture of a cat with a scarab beetle on his head. I did find it hard to follow, tho, which may of course be cultural chauvinism in beïng unfamiliär with the names. (I will say, tho, that while I accept possible blame here, I do think th’author did a fine job selecting Egyptian names that were very different so I never confused two characters, even tho “Ra” was th’only name I’d heard before.) [spoilers follow, tho vague ones] If I followed correctly, it seemed like the detectives were focusing in on three suspects (none of whose motivations I ever truly followed), and then suddenly it was a fourth suspect who did it! I didn’t feel like they got more and more information and suddenly they had it.

It’s also true, tho, that this book wasn’t for me, and my five-year-old who likes to be a detective did enjoy this. We’ve also read two Detective Gordon books, and for what it’s worth, I thought Ra was a far better preparation of what a real mystery is like. Even tho the pictures were not many, and were black-and-white (not even greyscale), he enjoyed them, and it was a good conceit (especially in a mystery), t’have full-page illustrations of characters as they were introduced.

[Barbara · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was pleasantly surprised by how much I enjoyed this mystery featuring a dung beetle and a royal feline. Ra the Mighty is Pharoah's beloved cat, and he spends most of his days relaxing and snacking on yummy food. When some royal jewelry goes missing and a servant girl, Tedimut, is blamed, his best friend, Khepri, decides that they must do the right thing and figure out the real culprit. Another cat, Miu, is equally certain of the girl's innocence, and if they don't solve the crime, Tedimut will be punished severely, possibly even killed. The voices of the characters are distinct and unique here, and readers will smile at Ra's squeamishness about Khepri's food preferences. Even though the story itself is entertaining enough, what particularly appealed here to me was how many bits of information about Egypt are woven into the main story. I felt almost as though I'd taken a trip back in time as I learned something about possible treasures, foods, treatment of members of the royal family, and the system of justice. I thoroughly enjoyed this book and the attractive artwork and hope that this is the first of a series featuring Ra. Catlovers will appreciate how the author has captured the essence of this finicky, somewhat spoiled but curious creature and hope to see him return at some point--along with his sidekicks, of course.