Enigma: A Magical Mystery

by Graeme Base

Bertie Badger loves to visit the Retirement Home for Elderly Magicians and watch his grandpa perform magic tricks. But one day all the magicians’ props go missing, so Bertie sets off to investigate. Can he solve the mystery in time to save the show?

Genres: Picture Books, Childrens, Mystery, Magic, Fantasy, Fiction, Animals

39 pages, Hardcover

First published October 1, 2008

About the author

Graeme Rowland Base is a British-Australian author and artist of picture books. He is perhaps best known for his second book, Animalia published in 1986, and third book The Eleventh Hour which was released in 1989.

Reviews

[Calista · Rating 4 out of 5]

Graeme presents a mystery. A young badger loves to see his famous retired grandpa do magic tricks. Until his magic items and his rabbit end up missing and all the other residents of the magic retirement home have their magic items missing as well. Bertie, the youngin’ promises he will find out who did it. He visits all the quirky residents to interview them and find what was missing. There’s: Bear of Wrath, Bill Bison - card shark, Mademoiselle Poodle of Mime, the Goddess of Caracas Miss Pollyanna Parropoup, and my favorite Hoo Min Floo Lord Pandamonium (excellent) and Mistress Hypnosis and last is the Mystic Maharaja.

The animals are stunningly beautiful and the rooms and set design are very detailed. Graeme is in top form with his artwork, his story and his mystery is not bad. The neat thing about the book is that at the end, he set up this enigma machine to decode a message the thief left where all the magic items are. There are dials you have to turn to unlock the code to decode the message. It’s actually pretty fun. The nephew spent about 20 minutes playing with this thing the next day.

Nephew had fun reading this. He loved all the costumes and names for these animals. He didn’t figure out who did it. He thought the monkeys were the culprit. This was a fun book for us. My favorite Graeme books are the ones he includes puzzles. The nephew gave this a disappearing 4 stars.



SPOILER:







The rabbit wanted to be the star of the show so he did it.

[Shannon · Rating 5 out of 5]

Bertie the Badger's Grandpa is a retired conjurer living in a retirement home for magicians and the like. One day Bertie comes to visit and see the magic show only to find that the residents have had their magic things stolen. Bertie's on the case, and goes to speak to each of them. Who stole the special magic props?

I'm a huge fan of Graeme Base and this is another delightful read. There are clues on every page amidst the gorgeous illustrations, a code to be cracked and the hidden props to find. Not only are the illustrations wonderful but Base's rhyming story is a delight. A sample:

The first stop was the Bear of Wrath (his real name was Vlad).
Apprenticed to a carpenter when he was just a lad,
His special trick was sawing whole babushka dolls in two
And magically repairing them without the aid of glue.

There's also a moral, a subtle one, of belonging and inclusion and crossing class lines, and of using your imagination and improvising rather than getting hung-up on things. A very sweet book with a fun puzzle embedded in it.

[Rachael · Rating 3 out of 5]

I must say that this is not Graeme Base at his best. Normally, I love his detailed artwork and I especially love his alliterative writing. The story in Enigma - the retirement home for old magicians, the missing magic tricks - had some promise, but I felt a little let down by the fact that it was the missing bunny who was responsible, and it all ended with a magic show. Just silly. On the other hand, I enjoyed the code breaking in the back of the book. Kept me entertained for a good hour or so, it did. Plus, I appreciate the fact that I bought this book when Mr. Graeme Base was at our store talking to me and allowing me to fawn over him. He drew a cute little picture for me on the front page, which made me happy. I am such a book groupie. Honestly, if he had said something in his cute little accent about stepping back into the workspace alone, I would have been there. Pathetic, I am. Just 'cause someone can string together a few rhyming lines and illustrate it with charming animals. . . you can call me easy.

[Heather · Rating 4 out of 5]

A rhyming mystery. Entertaining for both adults and children alike. So much fun to read and finding clues within the illustrations really makes you appreciate them that much more.

[Cassandra Doon · Rating 5 out of 5]

Book:Enigma
Read By:Hard Cover
Author: Graema Base
Genre: Picture books, Children’s Books
Recommend: Yes
Amount of Pages 39
My feelings:

I really enjoy children books.
And read them to my kids every night. But one thing I don't do it review them.
Why I don't know, but I decided it was time to start.

Any book by Graeme is amazing. They are well though tout, full of mischief and have so much going on you don't know where to look first. The illustrations as one of a kind and so well done they are pleasing to read year and year after they come out.

Highly recommend

[Becky B · Rating 4 out of 5]

Bertie Badger loves watching his grandfather, the fantastic retired magician, perform tricks. But during one visit his grandfather can't perform because his magic hat and rabbit are missing. It turns out that Bertie's grandfather isn't the only one missing props in the retirement village, several of the other former illusionists and performers are missing items as well. Bertie gets to work tracking down the missing items.

Not nearly as involved of a mystery as Base's Eleventh Hour but this one will still keep readers busy for many hours. Not only is the thief hidden in each spread, but the missing items are waiting to be found throughout the book, and there is a code to break to help give hints to that. Base's creativity always amazes me. His illustrations have to be seen to be believed. They are AMAZING. And then he manages to tell the story in rhyming quatrains AND come up with codes and hidden pictures too. I like The Eleventh Hour a little more, but this would be a good work up to that. It is easier, though by no means easy. A good picture book to help kids unplug for a good chunk of time and practice observation skills. (Observant readers can figure out who stole the items before Bertie.) Hand this to your favorite lower or middle grade wannabe sleuth.

[Lydia · Rating 4 out of 5]

Bertie loves visiting his grandpa at the retirement home. His grandpa used to be a famous magician, but since his retirement he only preforms for one audience, Bertie. However, one day when Bertie comes to visit, his grandpa's magic hat and rabbit are missing! It turns out that other mysterious and magical items have disappeared from other residents who also were performers of varies kinds, so at their request Bertie agrees to look for them and try to find the culprit.

What's not to love? The story is told in simple rhymes, the art work is (as always, for Mr. Base) fantastic and detailed and the mystery, for observant readers, is solvable before the end reveal. As a kid, I remember loving Mr. Base's books and pouring over the pictures for hours! The Eleventh Hour and The Discovery of Dragons are still my favorites, but Enigma would have been right up there.

No content issues that I noticed, but like I said, the pictures are extremely detailed, and though Mr. Base doesn't have a habit of hiding inappropriate things in the background, feel free to examine the pictures minutely to make sure.

[Heather · Rating 5 out of 5]

The story is told in rhyme and is about a little boy badger who visits his grandpa badger, a retired magician, and has to help his grandpa find items that have been stolen from him and the other magician animals living in an apartment house.


Each page has a hidden animal you have to find as well as nine hidden paw prints. At the end of the book is a secret code you have to decipher using clues in the pages of the book. I admit that I couldn't find the clues without looking at the publisher's note, but then again I didn't try too hard either. I'm sure a curious boy of about 8-12 years could've found it.


It's a really neat concept with the secret code and hidden objects. I think a lot of boys and girls ages 8-12 would really enjoy deciphering the code and finding the hidden objects. And younger children will enjoy the great illustrations and rhyming story.

[Matthew · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a really cool book. The text was a fairly typical rhyming narrative about a child that helps his grandfather and the other creatures at his grandfather's nursing home to recover what was stolen from them. The parts of the book that kick it up a notch are the outstandingly detailed illustrations and the cipher code that readers need to use to discover the locations of the missing items at the end. Even gaining access to the code in the first place is a challenge as you need to reveal a lock combination to open the cipher code at all. Additionally, there are paw prints to find on every page and a rabbit hidden in every illustration. It all adds up to a highly innovative experience that I just loved. Go as deep as you want into this one. It can be appreciated on a number of levels.

[Ilana Waters · Rating 4 out of 5]

There are so many things to love about this book, it's hard to know where to start! First there are the illustrations--I love how Base gave each resident of the retirement home their own persona and theme. The veiled Egyptian camel, the Russian Bear, the South American parrot . . . plus an adorable tale of a boy (badger) helping his grandpa.And then there are the rhymes that tell the story, along with the whole secret code. Definitely provides hours of fun for kids--and some grown-ups (ahem) like me. :-)

[Magila · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another winner. This is less a mystery and sleuthing than the Eleventh Hour. It's more cryptographic actually, so if you have future code makers, or code breakers, this is their book.

I love the detail that Base hides in his pictures, little animals, paws, it's always something - and always fun. I wasn't quite as wowed by this as the Eleventh Hour, but the the Bison and Panda might be two of my favorite Base pages. The rhyming was cute, but also not quite as successful as some of his other books. Overall, fun for the whole family.

Recommend.

[Emkoshka · Rating 3 out of 5]

Graeme Base doesn't write picture books; he writes picture puzzle poetry books. Worth bearing in mind if you want to keep a child entertained for a few hours cracking a cryptic code then hunting for images embedded in larger illustrations. A charming story about a retirement home for animal magicians and the quest to find their 'disappeared' magical items. Ends with the nice message that 'magic doesn't lie in wands or funny hats to wear/It only takes someone to dream, and someone else to share'.

[Rachel · Rating 4 out of 5]

Graeme Base has done it again - and I had pretty much lost hope. This one is akin to The Eleventh Hour (one of my very favorites -- an amazing book!) Totally awesome decoder at the back and terrific puzzle to solve - albeit a little bit too easy with a little bit too big of a hint. The rhyming story is quick and fairly to-the-point, finished before you get too tired of the rhythm and meter. David LOVES this book.

[Shelli · Rating 4 out of 5]

I remember when I was a kid reading the Eleventh Hour over and over again, looking for all the little mice hidden in the pictures. Sadly, as an adult I don’t have the patience or time to do that, kids however will love this book. Enigma is work of mystery, and you the reader attempt to solve the magical code concealed throughout the story. As always Graeme Base’s illustrations are stunningly detailed, brightly-colored masterpieces.

[Heather · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was hoping for the same level of difficulty of hidden clues and codes found in The Eleventh Hour. This one is not as tough, but is still enjoyable. It has only one code, and uses some picture clues to help you find the decoder key. But there are still plenty of fun hidden things to look for. The artwork is great fun.

[Amanda · Rating 5 out of 5]

Someone has stolen magic show objects from each resident in the old folks home and grandson badger is determined to discover the culprit and items. While the illustrations aren't as closely tied into the mystery as in "The Eleventh Hour," the puzzles are none the less intricate and difficult. A creme-de-la-creme of the I-Spy variety. Edgar Nominee '09

[Sarah · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm now learning to share some of my coworkers' love for Graeme Base. This book is all about breaking secret codes and even includes a decoder in the book that was too complicated for the librarians (myself included) to figure out how to use, so absolutely perfect for kids enamored with writing secret notes in code that grownups can't break.

[Catherine Woodman]

This book has a ll the lovely illustration that you would expect from a Graeme Base book--large, lush, textured. The story is almost non-existent, but would almost certainly be overlooked by a young reader, and the book would be best taken out of the library than owned, but would be good to read to a toddler.

[Lucius · Rating 3 out of 5]

Fun for daughter and father. The mystery was tough enough that we had to use the cheat provided in the back. I almost broke down and used the Internet, but we persisted and figured it out ourselves. What I appreciated was the fact that by the end of the story, my daughter was so intent on decoding all the messages, she spent a couple more hours getting all that information.

[Timalee Guetterman · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book gets 4 stars not for being the best story in the world, but for the fun factor of the book itself. The entire story is told in rhyme, which is fun to read, and my kids loved solving the secret decoder puzzle in the back of the book. They are still busy trying to find all Enigma's footprints hidden throughout the pages!

[Summer · Rating 3 out of 5]

The actual story is not my favorite Graeme Base, but my 5 yr old daughter and I have spent days on this book, cracking the code and looking for the hidden items. A great picture book for older kids as well.

[emyrose8 · Rating 4 out of 5]

Tricky “I Spy” and puzzles in every picture. And the answers aren’t super easy to access, so you can’t cheat. I like that the way to read the answers also requires you solve a puzzle by examining a picture on a page and comparing it to one on another page.

[Scottsdale Public Library]

Another gloriously illustrated offering by the always enjoyable author/illustrator Graeme Base.

-- Jess O. --

[Kaethe · Rating 4 out of 5]

The book is cute, but we didn't have time last night to try to solve any of the puzzles. I'm looking forward to spending more time with this.

[Rania T · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars. This book will keep you entertained for a while as you try to unveil the secret code that will unlock hidden treasures within its pages. Recommended for Upper Primary Students.

[Charul Palmer-Patel · Rating 4 out of 5]

Got this from the library; kid's asleep and my husband's currently sitting here trying to crack the mystery. So now I'm not sure whether to get this as a Christmas gift for him or my son!

[Tina Scoles · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fantastic!!!!!

[Rose Rosetree · Rating 5 out of 5]

When a tale contains a mystery, and not only a mystery but a story surrounding the solution of that mystery... all tucked inside a young reader's picture book... Whoa!

It takes a skilled writer to pull off all that. But Graeme Base manages all that, and even makes it look easy. (Plus, this being a book he illustrates, too, Graheme makes the storytelling look easy and BEAUTIFUL.

Set at The Retirement Home for Elderly Magicians

Right away a Goodreader can tell, this story's going to be special. Whatta place! Plus, in retirement, the magician who's Bertie's grandfather is known as Gadzooks the Great.

Bertie Badger, the hero, is aiming to help his grandpa solve the problem of the disappeared magical props. Otherwise, the magical show which was planned... cannot go on.

Now, Here's a Sample of Bertie's Interviews, Aiming to Retrieve What's Been Taken

Miss Pollyanna Parropoup, the Goddess of Caracas,
Was nothing if not colorful--she even played maracas!
She'd wowed the Venezuelan Club some thirty years ago,
Where every night her plumage and percussion stole the show.

Her trick was reading minds, but now her own had gone astray--
"Poor Polly's lost her crackers!" was the only thing she'd say.

Seems to this Goodreads reviewer, this FIVE STAR book is a standout. Even in this golden age of picture books.

[Nicola · Rating 2 out of 5]

We liked the illustrations. Miss 7 quickly got bored of the text all being in rhyme. We enjoyed looking for the bunny in the pictures. We worked out the first part of the code (the dials) but apart from a few words gave up on trying to decipher the coded messages. Visually, I found the pictograms slow-going to differentiate and decipher and frustrating needing to compare with the item list message being on another page. I might have enjoyed it when I was 10 and really bored in summer holidays? Neither of us wanted to decipher the whole thing and gave up on trying to work out how to find the missing items.

Miss 7 and I like to explore different books and authors at the library, sometimes around particular topics or themes. We try to get different ones out every week or so; it's fun for both of us to have the variety and to look at a mix of new & favourite authors.

[Alison · Rating 4 out of 5]

With Base's colourful and well crafted animal illustrations, this is a story about both magic and mystery, where the wonderous magician items go missing, so the grandson tries to find the items, and the culprit. Although the story has both a happy ending and a moral life lesson to learn, the mystery is a little bit of a fizzle as the culprit confesses rather than the 'detective' finding the solution. Language okay for adult readers and those learning with help, with rhyme, though the pentameter and rhythm is a little off on some of the sentences.