Los casos de Timmi Tobbson 1: El enigma del Estrella Fugaz

Timmi Tobbson #1

by J.I. Wagner, Isabel Murillo Fort (Translator)

Ages 8-12

Unravel 'solve-them-yourself picture mysteries' and uncover the Legend of the Star Runner!

Following the clues concealed within a centuries-old family legacy, Timmi Tobbson and his friends hope to save a dear friend. But only twenty-four hours remain to unravel the legend of a long-lost pirate ship, buried somewhere deep beneath the city streets. Unbeknownst to them, their search awakens a mystical dark power, sworn to protect what is hidden on board the once famous Star Runner.

Mysteries to Solve

The adventure is divided into 31 concise chapters, each of which ends with a puzzle to be solved by finding and interpreting visual clues concealed within a beautiful color illustration. Suited for explorers and sleuths young and old. Children under 8 years may need assistance in solving some of the puzzles. Grade level: 3rd and up.

Beautiful Color Illustrations

Legend of the Star Runner gives readers the best of both worlds, merging the visual appeal of a graphic novel with text-based storytelling's power to spark imagination.

Fun Facts

The illustrations of most Timmi Tobbson characters were inspired by actors and/or their fictional characters from well-known movies.

Marvin was inspired by Gaten Matarazzo's performance as Dustin in Stranger Things.
Sir London was inspired by Christopher Lloyd's interpretation of Dr. Emmet Brown in Back to the Future.
Lotterlulu was inspired by Johnny Depp's character Jack Sparrow in Pirates of the Caribbean as well as Dustin Hoffman's performance in Hook.
The Guardian was inspired by the looks of American actor, director and producer Danny DeVito.
Lilli's Grandpa was inspired by Sir Sean Connery's portrayal of the father of Indiana Jones in The Last Crusade.


Psst: This book contains a puzzle which is unrelated to the story and involves all thirty-one main illustrations.

Genres: Childrens, Mystery, Graphic Novels, Chapter Books, Fiction, Young Adult, Adventure

168 pages, Hardcover

Published March 10, 2021

About the author

J. I. Wagner lives with his beloved wife, their new-born super-cute daughter, two impressively big orange cats and one equally impressive mortgage right at the edge of a forest near Frankfurt, Germany.

He holds a Masters degree from Oxford University where he loved being part of the Christ Church College community.

Reviews

[Chrissy · Rating 5 out of 5]

My six year old loves this type of book where there is a picture mystery to be solved. I think it is intended for slightly older kids but it is not scary so fine for his age. We happen to also have an old Usborne puzzle adventure book called The Ghost in the Mirror by Karen Dolby, which starts out with a number of similarities and is the same type of book where each short chapter is a small mystery or clue to pick up on. I was concerned at first that it was a rewrite as the characters in both books are two boys and a girl but thankfully the plots diverge quickly. The Legend of the Star Runner is much longer with about two and a half to three pages of text and one picture page per chapter. The illustrations in the Usborne series are clearer. I'm not sure if it is the paper or the printing, but the illustration in the Star Runner book are quite dark and not sharp. If you are looking for clues this doesn't help the situation. I hope if there is a second book this is improved, just a bit. As and adult I could be much more critical, but my son very much enjoys the story and I have to say I love gimmicky books. Recommended for adventure and puzzle loving kids.

[Sandymay · Rating 5 out of 5]

Super unique, super fun. Gripping story, fantastic illustrations with clues to spot.



Story: Three friends set out to find a pirate ship which seemingly disappeared from one moment to the next when it anchored in the city harbor hundreds of years ago. If that wasn't ambitious enough, they only have twenty-four hours to succeed. Otherwise they will not be in time to save Lilli's grandpa from eviction.

What ensues is a race against time, leading the protagonists from one beautifully illustrated location to the next. Can't give away too much without spoilers but we visit ultra modern buildings, underground dungeons, ancient churches and much more.

The speed in which the story progresses is fairly impressive - I have read plenty of other books double or even triple the length of this one with much less happening. I guess there is a technical reason for this, as each chapter is kept really short (like three or four pages of text) and ends with an illustration and a puzzle to solve (see What's unique). So you need to pack a lot of story development in only a few pages to be able to show a new challenge as a chapter ending. This goes to the detriment of character development but ensures high entertainment value.

You end and up with a roller coaster ride, partly with nail-biting tension, yet completely without violence.

What's unique: Fantastic illustrations with clues to spot! Every chapter ends with a full page, full color illustration and a puzzle to solve. You get asked a question (a question that is always relevant to the progression of the story) and need to carefully scrutinize the illustration to find the answer. For instance, in one of the first chapters we find ourselves in a kitchen and need to spot a clue revealing the fact that someone must have left the kitchen shortly before we entered.

The reader is constantly invited / challenged to take on an active part in the adventure, making it interactive to some extend and certainly even more captivating.

The 'mysteries to solve' vary in difficulty - from super obvious to really challenging - but are never frustrating. A six year old can have just as much fun with them as an adult. Which makes the book perfect for reading it together, a chapter or two each day. A very rewarding experience for any parent.

What it lacks:There is very little character development. Don't get me wrong, the main characters are well fleshed-out, quirky and lovable but if you are looking for a drama with character development and depth, keep looking. This is pure and easy to digest entertainment.

Suited for: Although the book cover suggests 'eight years and up' I would argue you can start reading at six and well up into the teens. The unique mix of an entertaining story, wonderful illustrations and puzzles to solve should appeal to a fairly broad age range. And definitely not just boys. Anyone who loves adventure stories will feel right at home.

And definitely a recommendation for parents who want to read along.

[Jonathan · Rating 2 out of 5]

I'm going to start off by cutting this book a little bit of slack as there might have been a lost in translation kinda thing going on, but when it comes to the overall storyline of this book it was pretty campy. There wasn't much character development and a lot of instances of "how convenient".

Storyline (or lack thereof) aside, the concept of this book was unique. It is chalked full of short chapters that conclude with a question. Your job as the reader is to then examine the pictures (which are full color and fun to look at) and discover the answer to the question. So of them are beyond obvious, others a bit more difficult and honestly a few were kinda pointless. There is also a rating system next to each question for you to see how difficult they are. 1) No idea how this was determined as some of the questions labeled as "ultimate" were easier than the ones labeled "normal". 2) The way to distinguish between these was by looking at a tiny picture of the main character's faces and based upon their smile realize how hard the question was to answer. The difference between "hard" and "ultimate" was literally about a half of a millimeter added to the opening of the character's mouth, therefore you couldn't actually tell what type of question it was going to be. I wish they had just placed the words normal, hard and ultimate next to the question.

The target for this book is a little hard to pinpoint too because I feel as if the reading level was a little low for upper elementary but then the puzzles and questions will probably end up being too difficult for lower elementary. For that reason, this book really limits itself to who I think would actually enjoy reading it. I'd say it is good for a fourth grader, but perfect for a gifted second or third grader.

I'm marginally curious to see if there is another adventure in store for Timmi, but unless the content picks up it's just not worth the adventure to answer puzzle questions. I'd rather just spend some time with some logic puzzles then.

[Jessica Walters · Rating 5 out of 5]

A delightful little mystery. I don't think we've seen the last of the unpleasant little man. Loved the illustrations.

[Hymerka · Rating 3 out of 5]

Це така книжка-гра для маленьких детективів. Наприкінці кожного розділу потрібно розгадати невеличку загадку. Мені загалом сподобалася, але я перечитала подібних дитячих детективів десятки і цей нічим не вирізняється, впевнена, що забуду про нього вже за тиждень-другий.

[Sina · Rating 3 out of 5]

Ich fand die Sprache sehr sperrig für ein Kinderbuch. Die Rätsel konnte selbst ich teilweise nicht lösen. Würde es daher unter 10 Jahren nicht empfehlen.

[The Greenwalds · Rating 5 out of 5]

The puzzles, illustrations, and chapter-based format all help maintain interest and make reading enjoyable. The story is dynamic and creative, making it a perfect choice for kids who love adventures and mysteries.

[Mandy Crumb · Rating 5 out of 5]

The amount of teamwork and laughs that this one gifted my family is awesome! It's the perfect format for a read out loud because it demands participation from the audience. The fun didn't end when the book did because there's more surprises online that accompany it. Loved it!

[Corinne Fox · Rating 4 out of 5]

t's so refreshing to have a book that just aims to have fun! A delightful romp, goofy and giddy, with wonderfully silly and sincere characters. It's both a choose-your-own adventure and puzzle at the same time. It's a great challenge for kids, who will no doubt enjoy both the story and the solving of the riddles. Timmi, Lilli, and Marvin are lovely companions, and kids will feel like they're right there alongside them, digging in to the mystery and discovering the secrets of the Star Runner to help their Grandpa (which is a nice little lesson tucked in). The visuals are vibrant and inviting, and they certainly add to the atmosphere. The length of the book is just right for the target demographic. In short, I definitely recommend! It's a book you can re-read and the same level of fun over and over.

[Amy Reed · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is awesome. Wish there were dozens more.

[Bjoern Rochel · Rating 4 out of 5]

My son and I had really fun reading this one and solving all the little puzzles. Reminded me a bit of the good old 80s Point&Click-Adventures and a bit of the Goonies

[Mary Frances · Rating 4 out of 5]

Previewed for school library - a fun middle elementary book. Writing isn’t anything special but each chapter has a puzzle to solve which for the intended audience is engaging.

[寿理 宮本 · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a lovely combination of young adult mysteries like Encyclopedia Brown and You Be the Jury! It's even innovative in that the answer is built into the story (just keep reading, or peek at the hints in the back to try to solve the puzzle yourself), plus there's a bonus puzzle like in The Eleventh Hour for a bonus prize!*

This is also a lot higher quality than I would have expected for an "8+" chapter book (especially a "small press" book!), vs. a lot of the Creepers books, I've noticed, seem formatted for about the same age range, based on the story quality and type size, yet the main characters for that are mid to late teens. Random observation.

Anyway, while I love the idea of this series, this actual title has a couple of problems that tripped me up in the course of reading.

0. The spine is the reverse of what I expect: Title reads bottom-to-top! It's also upside-down if the book is laid down with the front cover showing! Probably why top-to-bottom is the industry standard. (I only now realise this is the opposite for manga and other books read right-to-left, but that's a different problem.)

1. Minor but ANNOYING typo: "But your grandpa only drinks tee, right?" It's a rather important CLUE! The parts that should have NO mistakes!

2. I know the idea is to look for a clue that's actually in the image, but Chapter 05 has them searching the kitchen for a glass... which is in plain sight in the Chapter 02 image (different angle of the kitchen)! So that's what I thought the answer was. Nope, they went through a lot more hassle to use a different one.

3. The map of the city is SUPPOSED to be a maze, I know, but it's a logistical NIGHTMARE, and SO MANY RESIDENTS would have NO WAY TO LEAVE BY ROAD. Disbelief hard to suspend.

4. ...how do you accidentally include extra details in a forgery, how terrible are you as a forger to do that. (I know the puzzles are supposed to be solvable to younger readers, but REALLY.)

5. NOOOOOOO THE BOOKS *cries in freshly-sunken ship*

6. Really can't believe NOBODY in this town found anything before they spontaneously started looking for the treasure this ONE day. How did the custodians or people paving the streets never ONCE look in the supposed old sewer entrance and see ALL THE STATUES THERE.

7. They needed to look at the film negatives, but they did so "minutes later" after Sir London presumably did NOT go and get the film developed (or, they would have just looked at the PHOTOS), nor did they mention building a dark room and developing it. And looking at undeveloped film would destroy the images. Hmm.

I know I'm maybe being a little hard on what's supposed to be a "you can solve it!!" story—which is a fabulous idea!!!—but that's sort of WHY I think it's important to catch these problems before they go to print. Don't want to pull a Dan Brown and write a book about real historical artefacts... that are in the wrong places in your book!

Otherwise, it's a super fun book, even if it takes a little longer to read than expected due to having to stop and think about it (but that's the IDEA)! Definitely interested in reading—and solving—more puzzling adventures!

*Type in the 31-digit code in the secret area at the website, and win "A personally signed (not printed / not digital – real pen on paper) poster!" for as long as the website is running, I suppose.

[Michelle · Rating 4 out of 5]

At the end of each short chapter, there's a clue to solve that moves you a step closer to uncovering a mystery. That made me curious enough to give this book a try with my 7- and 8-year-olds. They have short attention spans, so we read one to two chapters per day, and we had fun solving the little clues. Some were easy and satisfying, but others were tough enough to flex our mental muscles.

The story is written from the POV of Timmi Tobbson, average kid. He has two friends, Lilli and Marvin. One summer day, they realize they need to help save Lilli's grandpa's house from getting repo'ed. This leads them on a wild goose chase through many crazy locations in their historic town.

The fun thing about the clues is that you must look closely at the illustrations that appear at the end of each chapter, and those pictures give you clues to help you answer the accompanying "clue question."

The concept of this book is just wonderful. The clues and illustrations are very well done. The writing and story elements were not quite as strong. We do have the second and third books in the series, so we'll see how the series unfolds.

[Trudy Monk · Rating 2 out of 5]

Every three pages you get a picture to solve why a character thought some way. I read and tried the first one, saw no windows open assumed a backdoor, then tried to see if im right but you need to go infront of a mirror to read the answers. While clevor, not practical when I read. By the end of it I wouldnt feel like checking my answer since id of forgotten it by the time im near a mirror, secondly, the next pages hints towards what the answer was. A cat, so theres a pet door? Since you see the cat in the window. But, usually why would I think it would be a pet door most cats are indoor in society. Sure theres outdoor cats, they meow at the door to be let out usually. I think this had some more chance to be something cool with the solve it yourself kind of gimmick but, the problem was it relied on not general information, maybe have answers convered by some openable paper in the back, so we dont see all the answers, because im not going back and forth to a mirror to figure this out. Too much of a hassle.

[Christy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Unravel 'solve-them-yourself picture mysteries' and uncover the Legend of the Star Runner!

Following the clues concealed within a centuries-old family legacy, Timmi Tobbson and his friends hope to save a dear friend. But only twenty-four hours remain to unravel the legend of a long-lost pirate ship, buried somewhere deep beneath the city streets. Unbeknownst to them, their search awakens a mystical dark power, sworn to protect what is hidden on board the once famous Star Runner.

Mysteries to Solve

The adventure is divided into 31 concise chapters, each of which ends with a puzzle to be solved by finding and interpreting visual clues concealed within a beautiful color illustration. Suited for explorers and sleuths young and old. Children under 8 years may need assistance in solving some of the puzzles. Grade level: 3rd and up.

[Mark Popovitch · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a fun read. Very flat, static characters, but appealing for a younger audience, so it’s not necessarily a knock against the book. I enjoyed the short chapters, which was by design for “short attention span readers.” I’m a fan of mysteries, so the accompanying picture puzzles at the end of each chapter were great fun. Even for a kid’s book, the villain didn’t seem that believable, and I’m not exactly sure any of the protagonists were memorable enough characters that readers would relate to and desire to see in another adventure. The book’s concept stands out, so I think my son (8yo) will want to read the next in the series. Recommended nonetheless 🙂

[Kristian · Rating 3 out of 5]

I won this as a Goodreads Giveaway. I thought my son would enjoy it. I enjoyed it but it took me a little while to figure out the format. The difficulty level chart was a little hard to read, but I found myself looking up the clues on some of them. My son finally got around to reading it when he saw that I was enjoying it. I don't think he understood how the questions worked and where to find the answers (In the actual illustrations, BTW). It was a cute story and fun adventure. Seems like there could be more like this coming.

[Lizabet L · Rating 5 out of 5]

Review dictated by an 8-year old boy:

Three words: great, awesome, amazing!

I loved the picture mysteries to solve at the end of every chapter, though I don’t like that the clues are backwards and upside down because it made them hard to read.

My favorite puzzle was the one at the end of chapter 25 with the riddle and the tiles. My favorite part was the group hug at the end, but I thought the Dark Guardians were a little scary. I’m not sure kids should be allowed to use dynamite.

I can’t wait to read the next book. Please write more quickly!

[lisa graham · Rating 5 out of 5]

My daughter loved this!

We came across this as we were looking for CYOA books. The title sounded to me like sci fi or at least something geared more towards boys. I was wrong. My daughter loved it and looked forward to reading a chapter every night before bed. 1st time she's ever really been excited to read. At the end of every chapter you have to figure out a clue from the picture so she really felt like part of the adventure. Awesome book. Hope to find more by this author.

[Terri M · Rating 5 out of 5]

My 9-year old reluctant reader loved this book. I read it out loud to him and a few nights I dozed off while he was inspecting the pictures. On those nights, he just kept reading the story on his own (which never happens). The picture mysteries were the perfect level of difficulty and integrated seamlessly into the storyline. They really made the book unique and engaging. We hope there will be more books in the series!

[Paula Howard · Rating 5 out of 5]

Absolutely great book to read to 4th and 5th graders. My kids learned new words to increase vocabulary. Words are underlined and definition was in small print above . Three kids are the protagonist and must find the treasure hidden by the pirate Lotterlulu.

Each charter has a beautiful illustrated picture that hisd the clue. The is also a hint button to help find the item.

It was good for kids working together to find the solution to each hint.

[Melissa Pinto · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was so fun to read! Super engaging, main characters who demonstrated good morals in their decision-making (except for the villain obviously) and it was really fun trying to find all the clues to solve the mystery as you went, as well as trying to find the numbers hidden on each page for the secret code! This book was a pleasant surprise and one I would definitely both recommend to kid &/or use for a book club!!

[Georgina · Rating 4 out of 5]

Timmi Tobbson and his friends solve the mystery of... well, a lot of things, really. There's a pirate. There's diamonds. There's flooding passages and towering libraries. The story is told in short chapters that end with a small mystery to solve before you turn the page, just like one of my favourite books from childhood, The Black Hand Gang, and it turns out from the afterward that the author was inspired by the same book! So that's nice.

[Mackenzie Meckl · Rating 5 out of 5]

Grade level: 2nd-3rd
Genre: Mystery
A feature that I really like about this text are the includes mystery puzzles that are worked in to very chapter. This makes reading fun and engaging for the students. I also like that the picture that goes along with each chapter is in color because it makes the puzzle much more fun and interesting.

[Fran · Rating 4 out of 5]

I bought this book for my 10 year old grandson hoping to entice him away from his video games. I don't know yet if it worked but it is a very clever book. The chapters are very short - 2 or 3 pages with a clue hidden in a very well done picture at the end of each chapter. Each clue brings you one step closer to solving the mystery. It is very well done. I hope there will be sequels.

[Donna · Rating 5 out of 5]

Deduction: This book makes it fun.

I like the way the book makes you think and doesn't frustrate you by making too hard at first. The puzzles increase in difficulty and the reader has some experience in observation and deduction. The hints are just right. I believe all ages can enjoy the good.

[Elizabeth Edwards · Rating 4 out of 5]

i love that book cover, and i do imagine it would be a great read in total??! i am not sure what did happen? this might just be a kindle version problem??! no clue. but i started reading and i go to i mean not even into chapter one and i wanted to turn the page ... magically i ended up at the end of the book ... never could find my original page again? it was like it did not exist? so odd??!

[Jena · Rating 5 out of 5]

My sister and I used to love ‘Adventures of the Black Hand Gang’ and searched for over 30 years for a book that was similar. This book far surpasses Black Hand Gang! My 12 yr old son and I read 2 -4 chapters a night and tried to solve the clues together. I would recommend this book to age 8 to 108! I cannot wait til Sept 2020 when the 2nd book comes out.

[Reem · Rating 1 out of 5]

Sure enough, this book had aimed 8-12 age groups, though nothing makes sense at all. This book is just a gross combination of interests of that age groups, such as pirates and treasures. On the other side, the illustration was good enough to make the book better. I personally was very disappointed and unhappy towards this book. I am not going to recommend this book to the others.