The Absent Alpacas

A to Z Animal Mysteries #1

by Ron Roy, Kayla Whaley, Chloe Burgett (Illustrator)

Solve Animal Mysteries from A to Z! Young clue hunters Abbi, Daniel, and Lydia sniff out the mystery behind a group of missing alpacas. Inspired by Ron Roy's beloved A to Z Mysteries series, this spin-off is perfect for budding young chapter-book readers--and future detectives!

A is for ALPACAS . . .

It's time for the alpaca costume contest, and Abigail "Abbi" Wallace is excited to see it at the Maine State Fair. But there’s only one alpaca left—the rest are missing! What sent the alpacas packing? Abbi; her dog, Barkley; and her friends Lydia and Daniel are ready to sniff out this mystery!

Genres: Mystery, Childrens, Chapter Books, Animals, Middle Grade, Fiction, Juvenile

96 pages, Paperback

First published July 4, 2023

About the author

Ron Roy has been writing books for children since 1974. He is the author of dozens of books, including the popular A to Z Mysteries®, Calendar Mysteries, and Capital Mysteries. When not working on a new book, Ron likes to teach tricks to his dog Pal, play poker with friends, travel, and read thrilling mystery books.

Reviews

[Diana N. · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a favorite series that both of my daughters love to read! The best part about this one is the kick-off to having animals as a main focus in the mystery.

Who doesn't love fluffy alpacas, but oh no, they went missing at the fair. This simple mystery is engaging for young readers and helps them problem solve. This is also a great reading level for elementary school kids and was read by my 2nd and 4th graders.

B is up next, can't wait for the next animal mystery!

Thank you to Random House Children's and Netgalley for providing me a copy of this ARC for my honest review.

[Mackenzie Hulsey · Rating 5 out of 5]

Graham loved this!

[Becky B · Rating 4 out of 5]

Abbi and her best friends, twins Lydia and Daniel, are headed to the Maine State Fair to see the alpaca costume competition. But when they get there, all but one of the alpacas are missing. Did the alpacas sneak out? Did someone steal them? And why?

A nice little mystery for these 3 kids to solve. They follow clues and uncover the truth. There is a happy ending with a rescue farm getting more attention. I like that Abbi is in a wheelchair. That isn't the main focus of the story, but authentic details (like where Abbi can and can't go in her wheelchair) are mentioned. I like that this new branch off of the A to Z mysteries has full color illustrations inside. Kids will like that.

Notes on content:
Language: None
Sexual content: None
Violence: None
Ethnic diversity: Abbi is depicted with white skin while the twins are of Asian Indian descent.
LGBTQ+ content: None specified
Other: Theft and trying to rig a competition are part of the plot. The criminal is repentant.

[Kathryn Best · Rating 4 out of 5]

I listened to the audiobook with my 4yo. It kept his interest for us to listen through all in one go! Very cute, very fun. It does a great job of introducing kids to mysteries and how best to problem solve or work through a mystery. It’s a little lacking when it comes to how it wraps up and the resolution for those in the wrong, but that can mostly be forgiven for a children’s book.

[Christine · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a really cute book. I read this with my six-year-old niece and she loved it. She is just starting to read on her own, so the short chapters were perfect for her. The series consists of three friends, who are attending a state fair where alpacas have disappeared. They work together to find the culprit. I enjoyed reading this with my niece. She had a great time trying to figure out the culprit and had already asked me for the next book.

[Kim Long]

Norah's most recent car story!

[DaNae · Rating 3 out of 5]

A simple mystery to begin a new spin-off of a perennially popular series for my students. I really loved the one of the three main characters is in a wheelchair, without it being the focus of her identity.

52 Book Club24: #21 Written by a ghostwriter. Kayla Whaley for Ron Roy. (Whaley is credited on the cover, but I’m taking it, as I really, really, really do not want to read a celebrity memoir)

RATL24 - Early Chapter Book

[Barbara Sousa · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Absent Alpacas, the first book in Ron Roy and Kayla Whaley’s A to Z Animal Mystery series, is a delightful, kid-appropriate mystery story that entertains and educates.

My kids read all of the original A to Z Mysteries (including the Super Editions) and thoroughly enjoyed them. This new series incorporates animals and introduces a fresh new set of kids. Abbi Wallace and twins Lydia and Daniel Herrera, along with Abbie’s dog, Barkley, continue in the tradition of the original mystery kids – Dink, Josh, and Ruth Rose. It is nice to see Abbi, who is in a wheelchair, is clearly the leader of this trio. This adventure starts with Abbi, Lydia, and Daniel going to the Maine State fair. The highlight of the fair is the Alpaca Costume Contest. Margery Meadows, a friend of Mrs. Herrera, has an alpaca named Alpaca in Wonderland competing. The contest is delayed when all the other alpacas go missing. When suspicion falls on Ms. Margery, the kids go into detective mode to prove otherwise and find the missing alpacas.

In addition to being a fun read, the book deals with social issues in a readily accessible manner. Animal activists are picketing the fair, and there is some emphasis on the difficulties Abbi has with her wheelchair. The kids, however, take it in stride and help her when needed. The mystery is solved in a straightforward manner. I do feel that an opportunity to explore the possibility of the protesters as possible alpaca-nappers was missed, but the story was otherwise solid.

The book also presents a learning experience. I didn’t know that there was such a dog as a Bassador (cross between Basset Hound and a Labrador Retriever). And there is a list of alpaca facts at the end of the book. Another fun fact for readers of the earlier Ron Roy series is that Abbi’s adoptive mom is mystery writer Wallis Wallace (who first made an appearance in The Absent Author, albeit as a pen name for Mavis Green).

Beginning chapter readers who love animals should really enjoy The Absent Alpacas (and likely the rest of this series), and I recommend it highly.

Note: I received an ARC of The Absent Alpacas from NetGalley and Random House Children’s, Random House Books for Young Readers. The above is my honest review.

[jaycee · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a fun mystery read between 3 friends at a town fair. The mystery stays light and fun throughout, even though the stakes were high and key players were upset about the mystery.

The three main characters were each uniquely characterized. I especially appreciated Abbi's love of recording sounds; it's quirks like this that really stick out.

What stopped me from giving this more than 3 stars were 2 issues I had:
1) I would have loved a red herring or a little twist. The progress of the plot was pretty straight forward, and I think kids would like a little more problem-solving out of a mystery.
2) What was the point of the protesters? I figured they would be red herring, and maybe that was meant to be implied, but they didn't play a large enough role for me to consider that true. Do we just not like protesters lol? Would have loved more of a discussion about why protests happen.

Overall it was cute and fun! I'll be recommending this series!

[Siarra · Rating 5 out of 5]

Abbi Wallace and her two best friends that are twins, Lydia and Daniel, set out to go to the Maine State Fair. When they were there, they gathered to watch the alpaca costume showing. When they arrived, the alpacas were missing! The group of friends set out to solve the mystery of the missing alpacas and later solved it. I enjoyed this book because it included mystery, which is a favorite genre of mine. Also, it incorporated diversity among the characters. For example, Abbi is in a wheelchair in the story. Most stories do not have involve individuals with some sort of physical disability. The illustrations helped bring the story to life and were in vivid colors to make them more enjoyable. I would put it in my classroom library for my students to enjoy if they have interest in animals and or mysteries.

[Alley W. · Rating 5 out of 5]

A to Z Animal Mysteries #1: The Absent Alpacas is a fun mystery that any elementary student would enjoy reading. Abbigail “Abbi” Wallace and her two friends twins Lydia and Daniel are excited to attend the alpaca costume contest at the Main State Fair the only problem is when they get there all the alpacas except one has disappeared. A family friend, Ms. Margery seems to be the number one suspect. Can the friends find the missing alpaca and solve who and why someone would take the alpaca? This book does not disappoint. Love the added bonus of alpaca facts at the end of the book. Highly recommend for newer avid readers. A to Z books are a great introduction to the genre of mystery and the mystery surrounding animals makes them even better. Thank you Netgalley for this read.

[Ivy · Rating 5 out of 5]

A cute children's chapter book about a girl, Abbi, and her two best friends who help solve a mystery. The main character, Abbi, uses a power wheelchair, and the authors do a great job of not focusing on it, but still making it a part of her character. Abbi and her friends are excited about the alpaca costume contest at the state fair, only to get there and discover all but one of the alpacas is missing. Abbi and her friends follow clues and help unravel the mystery of the absent alpacas. This book references some of the characters from the original A to Z Mysteries, but is a new series that can be read without reading the original series. Highly recommend for young readers!

I received an eARC of this book from the publisher via NetGalley. All opinions expressed in this review are my own.

[Kayla · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was a HUGE A to Z Mystery kid and when I saw this new spin off series I knew I needed it!

This was such a fun read and I know I would call up the elementary school teachers I know to get them to have this in their classrooms. I love the disability rep, the diverse characters, just everything was so fun. I thought the art work was very colorful and beautiful to look at.

I think this is a good opener to the spin off series and I do look forward to seeing where it goes and what animals they write about!!

5 stars

[Mariah Williams · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is an adorable book about a group of three friends solving a mystery. There is diversity and disability rep wove into the story in a seamless manner. The short chapters are perfect for younger kids and although the mystery was a simple one I think it was handled well and could see the mystery level increasing through the series. I think my niece would really enjoy this series.

I received an eARC of this book from the publisher via NetGalley. All opinions expressed in this review are my own.

[Tina at Mommynificent · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book seems to be best suited for ages 6-8 year olds as my 10-year old felt it was a little young for him. He liked the characters but missed the original A to Z Mysteries' characters. He loved that it was about animals but wished there were more facts about alpacas included. He thought the mystery was pretty good but could have been better. He did enjoy that there were lots of funny parts. He is hoping to be able to read the next books in the series.

We received a complimentary electronic copy of this book from NetGalley.

[Lisa Boyd · Rating 3 out of 5]

The kids are off to a rollicking start in this easy reader version (maybe early chapter book at 83 pages?) of A to Z mysteries. Great illustrations and a very accessible story appropriate for advanced young readers, target age, and older readers in a Hi-Lo setting it those with learning disabilities or intellectual disabilities. I'd see this be in a nice replacement for the dated chapter book series.

[Katie Brookins · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is such a fun book! The costume contest concept is great and even kids who aren’t old enough to read this themselves get a kick out of the pictures. It’s a fun, not-scary mystery with 3 friends and their dog, and I’m really excited that more have already been announced!

[Andréa]

Note: I received a digital review copy of this book from the publisher through NetGalley.

[Beth · Rating 3 out of 5]

Simple and forgettable. I know, it's meant for beginning readers, but I've read short books with big heart before.

[Jessica · Rating 4 out of 5]

Cute book for elementary school or middle school students!

[Elizabeth · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was cute. I love the animal aspect, and the inclusiveness of the story. The main character is in a wheelchair but it wasn't her whole identity which was lovely to see.

[Tara · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a fun mystery with some interesting alpaca facts thrown in. I loved it.

[Amy · Rating 5 out of 5]

My kindergartner was able to follow this fairly well when read aloud to her. Cute series reboot.

[Ardie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Cute, simple mystery for young readers.

[Claudette Wielechowski · Rating 5 out of 5]

The grandsons and I enjoyed the audiobook while on a roadtrip.

[Claudette Wielechowski · Rating 5 out of 5]

The grandsons and I enjoyed this audiobook while on a road trip

[Mary · Rating 3 out of 5]

Trio of kids solves the mystery of a missing herd of alpacas.

[Lauren Hightower · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really not bad but the standard was high with the original series and this spin off was just okay. My little girl did enjoy it and the illustrations in color are wonderful!

[Themountainbookie · Rating 3 out of 5]

An early chapter book mystery. Not spooky at all. Just some kids doing some beginner detective work at a fair.

[Julie H · Rating 5 out of 5]

How many more of these mystery books is he going to write? I'm pretty sure my 7 year old is going to want to read them all. We now read them together instead of me just reading aloud. It's pretty cute. This is the first of a new series.