A case with a Bang

Kommissarie Gordon / Detective Gordon #5

by Ulf Nilsson, Gitte Spee (illustrator), Julia Marshall (translator)

Illustrated in full color and packed with character and humor, this is a new whodunnit mystery in the award-winning Detective Gordon series, fun to read alone or aloud. A Case with a Bang is the final book in the series of funny detective stories for early readers set in a friendly forest in which two determinedly fair police―retired-toad Gordon and the indefatigable mouse Buffy―solve the mystery and stop regularly to eat cake. Night brings a humming, scraping sound in the woods. Someone has wrecked the badger's trash can. Later, three large creatures are spotted up on the mountain. Detective Buffy discovers this seemingly small case really is a dangerous mystery―she comes back from her first investigation flat as a gingerbread, rolled over by something huge and terrifying. Back at the station, retired Detective Gordon is training a new young police assistant, and the cakes have run out in the forest bakery! While all the animals cower at the police station, Buffy remembers Gordon’s stories about trolls. Is it possible they do exist? Taking Gordon’s advice about how everyone thinks differently, she finds a way to communicate with the giant creatures―perhaps not so terrifying after all. The book leaves readers with a memorable Gordon message: Everyone thinks differently, strangers are welcome, cakes for everybody! This final installment in the award-winning Detective Gordon series is a multi-layered philosophical story about good detective work involving all, kindness to newcomers and doing the right thing. Winner of multiple awards and accolades, Detective Gordon is a mystery series with depth―perfect for reading alone for emerging readers, wonderful for reading aloud together as a chapter book. Ulf Nilsson was a celebrated Swedish children’s writer, who wrote more than 100 books for all ages. He is the winner of numerous awards including the August Prize, the Astrid Lindgren Prize and the Swedish Academy’s Children’s Book Prize. His books have been translated into over a dozen languages and made into feature films, opera, radio, plays and other forms – even postage stamps. Gitte Spee is a renowned artist from the academy of fine art and design in the Netherlands and St Martins School of Art in London. A leading children’s book illustrator, she has also written numerous books, published and translated around the world. Translated from the Swedish edition by Julia Marshall. Read all the Detective Gordon series:
Detective Gordon: The First Case
Detective Gordon: A Complicated Case
Detective Gordon: A Case in Any Case
Detective Gordon: A Case for Buffy
Praise for Detective Gordon: A Case with a Bang
"[J]ust as charming, gentle, wry, and entertaining as the rest of the series and anything that was created by A.A. Milne or Kenneth Grahame."― Kirkus Reviews "A warm-hearted tale that readers will want to immerse themselves in. Instant classics, this series would make for perfect classroom read-alouds and a just-right match for chapter book readers."― School Library Journal Praise for Detective Gordon: The First Case
"KLA-DUNK! Another winner."― starred , Kirkus Reviews

"A must-have for chapter book collections."― starred , School Library Journal "Full of warm humour and wisdom...with a feather-light touch."― Best Books of 2015, Horn Book "A wonderful choice for independent reading."―starred, Booklist

Genres: Childrens, Animals, Mystery, Chapter Books

111 pages, Hardcover

First published March 7, 2023

About the author

Ulf Nilsson is a prolific author, who's written over 100 books and received many awards, including the August and American Batchelder awards.

Reviews

[Cheryl · Rating 4 out of 5]

You might want to read this fourth, and the one marked 4 save for fifth, because that one really is focused on tidying things up. This might be the best of all, because it features my favorite theme, Another Point of View. Everybody has different perspectives and ways to communicate, but can learn to get along with each other if they try. Even Badgers. Even Trolls. Wonderful series.

[Dawn Michelle · Rating 5 out of 5]

This series has been the BEST surprise for me and I am so glad that I was intrigued enough to go looking for the first 4 books [thankfully, ALL on Hoopla] and once finding them, requesting this one. I had zero expectations and was blown away from book one.

WHAT a great, fun, series for kids [and the adults/caregivers/siblings that may read it to them or with them] and a great way to either introduce them to mysteries or to start them with an easy mystery before moving on to "harder" ones [re: Encyclopedia Brown, The Secret Benedict Society, Chasing Vermeer to name a few], as well as introducing them to books in translation [the author is from Sweden and the illustrator is from Indonesia] and the importance of reading authors that are NOT from where they live. These are a good length [mostly around 100 to 115 pages] and are filled with fun and fantastic illustrations that just add to the story. And let's talk about the story - so much fun, while teaching really good lessons for everyone's life. Detective Gordon, Detective Buffy and all their friends learn in such a good, easy way and teach those around them and makes learning about good manners, kindness, and acceptance so much fun and very easy. I cannot recommend this series enough and will be looking to buy them for any littles that enter my life.

WELL DONE!!!

Thank you to NetGalley, Ulf Nilsson, Gitte Spee - Illustrator, Julia Marshall - Translator, and Gecko Press for providing this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

[Diana N. · Rating 3 out of 5]

You need to use your imagination with this one.

I read this with my kids and they were actually able to follow some of the more far fetched parts than I was. Buffy being completely flattened and the trolls were a bit much.

The overall story concept was cute, but it felt a bit all over the place and disjointed. Yes it is a mystery for kids, but it felt more fairy tale like instead. The illustrations were good, but more of them would have added to the story even more.

Thank you to Gecko and Netgalley for providing a copy of this ARC for my honest review.

[Wendy Bamber · Rating 4 out of 5]

5th and final of the Detective Gordon series, perfect for strong year 2 and year 3/4 readers, always a winner.

[Sarah S. Smee · Rating 4 out of 5]

This small, sweet chapter book is like a cozy warm drink on a cold evening. If you are looking for gentle mysteries for young readers, this series may be a good fit. The action is fairly slow, but that is balanced by the atmospheric language and charming illustrations.

[Barbara · Rating 3 out of 5]

I've enjoyed reading the Detective Gordon series and hate to see it come to a close with this, the fifth and final story. As was the case with the other titles, there is just a sweet innocence about the world and its inhabitants as imagined by author Ulf Nilsson. This is a place where problems can be solved with a delicious, fresh-baked cake and by taking the time to listen to others. While I didn't find it as strong as the previous four books, the book still contains some almost magical moments and realizations. The plot centers around the possible vandalism of a trash can and strange sounds heard by Badger. Since Detective Gordon is now retired, it's up to Chief Detective Buffy to soothe Badger's anger and investigate the case. But before she can get very far, she is literally flattened by a large force. The other animals rescue her, and young Helmer, a squirrel who wants to follow in Buffy's footsteps, figures out the origin of the noises. The animals are able to welcome some unlikely newcomers to the fold. The passages about trolls and Detective Gordon's interest in them at the start of the book will seem random at first, but as the plot unfolds, readers will quickly realize their significance. And as always, there is some stamping of important messages near the end with the usual "Kla-dunk" and some worthy words of advice about being open to life's possibilities on page 110. The small but meaningful watercolor illustrations complement the story nicely, allowing the characters' personalities to shine through. I'm sure that I won't be the only person who will miss these gentle stories and their loveable and relatable characters.

[DaNae · Rating 4 out of 5]

I adore the Detective Gordon books, even if the title detective is now retired and resigned to spending is days reading about trolls in what once was the police station's jail cell.

The takaway quote from this book: Not everyone things about things the same way. (If only we can get badger and crow onboard.)

[JaNel · Rating 2 out of 5]

Good example of police thinking about things and “being friendly” instead of confrontational. Some words kind of flippantly thrown around like thinking someone is dead already and using a pistol

[Mary · Rating 4 out of 5]

Cute, great detective story based on communication approaches, fun and learning to accept vs fear differences

[Sabine Ibing · Rating 5 out of 5]

«Es gibt immer ein gutes Ende. In jedem Märchen, das man liest, und in der Wirklichkeit. Wenn man für alles offen ist.»

Im Wald stimmt etwas nicht. Immer wieder hören die Tiere ein Gebrummel und Gekratze. Sowie es dunkel wird, ertönt furchterregendes Brummen und Jaulen vom Berg. Herr Dachs meldet eine plattgedrückte Mülltonne. Kommissarin Buffy ist entsetzt. Wer kann so etwas nur tun? Wer besitzt so viel Kraft? Bei der Tatortbesichtigung entdeckt sie riesige Fußabdrücke. Kommissar Gordon hat seine ganz eigene Theorie. Da er eine Menge Bücher über Trolle gelesen hat, ist sich sicher: Bei dem Krachmacher muss es sich um einen Bang handeln. Über 1000 Jahre alt soll dieser Troll sein! Buffy will der Sache auf den Grund gehen und begibt sich in einer kalten und stürmischen Herbstnacht mit ihrer Taschenlampe bewaffnet auf den Weg, um zu sehen, wer den Krach dort oben verursacht.

«‹Alle sagen, dass wir hässlich sind›, sagte Bong. «Das macht uns sehr traurig! Denn wir sind empfindsam.›
‹Warum schreien sie uns an, wenn wir doch nur unser Leben leben und uns ein bisschen unterhalten wollen? Dann möchte ich ihre Sachen kaputtschlagen. Aber nur Sachen.›»

Ulf Nilssons Sprache fasziniert. Der erste Eindruck muss nicht immer stimmen – hinter grummeligen, lärmenden Wesen können sanfte Typen stecken. Einsamkeit und Ausgrenzung macht miesepetrig. Der letzte Fall des Trios: Kommissarmaus Buffy, wendig, pfiffig und warmenherzig; der pensionierte Kommissar Gordon, ein schlauer, lahmer Kröterich und neu hinzugekommen Eichhörnchenkind Helmer als Assistent. Immer nett zu allen Tieren, offen für ihre Sorgen, immer Muffins in der Tasche, ein Polizist muss Vertrauen zu allen Wesen finden. Manch ein Geselle ist eben nicht einfach zu handeln; der knurrige Dachs ist niemals zufrieden. Das ängstliche Kaninchen kann schon nerven, und das das Trollpaar Bang und Bong und ihr Trollkind Bing machen ziemlich viel Ding-Dong. Mutig tritt Buffy jedem entgegen, nimmt ihn, wie er ist. Wenn alle zusammenhalten und jeder sich bemüht, gibt es eine Lösung. Auch für das Problem des Bäckers. Denn der alte Mann geht in Rente. Keine Muffins mehr im Wald? Man könnte ja jemanden anlernen, das Geschäft zu übernehmen ... Der Moritz Verlag gibt eine Altersempfehlung ab 7 Jahren – ich denke, ab 6 Jahren geht es auch schon. Selbst lesen – es sind große Buchstaben gesetzt – oder vorlesen lassen. Gitte Spee hat die Geschichte wundervoll zart illustriert, eine Mischtechnik, die an Aquarell-Buntstifttechnik erinnert. Es ist leider das letzte Kinderbuch des in 2021 verstorbenen Ulf Nilsson – meine Empfehlung!


Ulf Nilsson, (1948-2021) ist ein schwedischer Autor. Er hat für Kinder wie für Erwachsene geschrieben. Er ist einer der bekanntesten schwedischen Kinderbuchautoren und hat über 100 Bücher geschrieben, viele Auszeichnungen erhalten. Eines seiner wichtigen Themen war dabei der Sieg des Guten über das Böse. Er beschäftigte sich auch stark mit biblischen Geschichten, sah er in ihnen doch die Eckpfeiler unserer Kultur und unserer Moralvorstellungen.

Gitte Spee wurde 1950 in Indonesien geboren. Als sie elf Jahre alt war, zog sie mit ihrer Familie in die Niederlande. In Amsterdam studierte sie Illustration. Seitdem hat sie zahlreiche Bücher für internationale Verlage illustriert, in Deutschland ist sie besonders für die Bilder zu Dagmar Chidolues Millie-Büchern bekannt.