The Mystery of Mr. Nice: A Chet Gecko Mystery

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When Principal Zero doesn't punish Chet Gecko for his less than flattering drawing of a teacher, Chet, the best lizard detective at Emerson Hicky Elementary, knows something fishy is going on. "And I was just the gecko to find out what it was." Soon this hard-boiled fourth-grade detective is on the case, mixing with a tough hamster ex-con named Guido, a brass-knuckle-wielding bat called Ms. Darkwing, and the ringleader, a fat cat fake principal who aims to take over the elementary school and turn it into a vocational school for criminals. But will Chet and his cohort, a mockingbird by the name of Natalie, get to the bottom of this mystery before the ill-fated PTA meeting where this dastardly plot will be unveiled? With the help of a hyper tree frog named Popper, and Tony and Bo, a pair of food-fighting newt brothers, they just might crack this case.

ANNOTATION

When the principal of his school begins acting nice to him, Chet Gecko realizes that he is an imposter and so sets out to find the real one.

FROM THE PUBLISHER

Chet Gecko returns in another hilarious thriller!

Most folks know him as the best lizard detective at Emerson Hicky Elementary, but it's not all knuckles and know-how with Chet Gecko. He's also got his artistic side.

If it wasn't for his art, he might never have been sent to Principal Zero's office, where he stumbled onto the mystery of Mr. Nice. Because whatever you can say about Principal Zero, one thing is certain: He is not nice. Until now.

Chet knows something is wrong with this picture, and he's just the gecko to solve this mystery. After all, who do you think put the art in smart aleck?

About the Author:

Bruce Hale is the author and illustrator of five picture books about Moki the surfing gecko. A popular speaker, teacher, and storyteller for children and adults, he was awarded a Fulbright grant in 1998 to teach storytelling and to study folklore in Thailand. He lives in Honolulu, Hawaii.

FROM THE CRITICS

Children's Literature - Children's Literture

Any book that begins, "History class crept by like a slug on ice," is bound to appeal to kids. This addition to the "Chet Gecko Mystery" series is no exception. When Chet, the best lizard detective at Emerson Hicky Elementary School, tries to learn why Principal Zero is suddenly nice, he discovers a dastardly plot afoot. Using all the swagger and lingo of a Sam Spade wanna-be, Chet and his mockingbird assistant, Natalie Attired, deliver intrigue and hilarity. Some of the humor may be too sophisticated for young readers ("art gecko" for instance), but there are dozens of puns and jokes, both corny and clever, that they will get. The similes are fresh and kid-funny--Chet's heart beating "like a hyperactive octopus with a drum set," or faces turning "as purple as a grape stomper's underwear." They are so numerous, however, that the reader begins to suffer from overkill, until he realizes that a-simile-a-second is simply how Chet talks. There are a few stretches of credibility in the plot, but they hardly matter. The steady humor, eye-catching illustrations, and crazy cast of characters (including a wombat, a tattooed armadillo, and a brass knuckle-carrying hamster) keep this chapter book entertaining. 2000, Harcourt, Ages 8 to 12, $14.00. Reviewer: Betty Hicks

School Library Journal

Gr 4-6-Humor is the outstanding element of this fast-paced mystery set in an elementary school. Chet Gecko is a sleuth who also deems himself to be an artist. He is caught drawing in class and is sent to the principal's office for discipline. However, something is strange about Mr. Zero's behavior. Chet and his sidekick Natalie, a mockingbird, soon discover that he is an impostor who is plotting to turn Emerson Hicky Elementary into a vocational school for crime. Ultimately, the young detective and his friends save the day. Told from Chet's point of view, the story is filled with corny jokes, clever wordplay, and amusing asides. The action keeps on moving and there is lots of suspense. The droll, black-and-white cartoon drawings add to the fun. A good choice for fans of gumshoe adventures.- Sharon McNeil, Los Angeles County Office of Education Copyright 2000 Cahners Business Information.

Kirkus Reviews

Green-scaled gumshoe Chet Gecko hits his stride in this hard-boiled follow-up to The Chameleon Wore Chartreuse (p. 475). What with a plug-ugly new janitor, new Assistant Principal Clint Squint's "PEN [sic] STATE" tattoo and a formerly sourpuss Principal Zero suddenly turned eerily sweet-tempered, there is definitely something rotten at Emerson Hickey Elementary School. Leave it to Chet, his mockingbird sidekick Natalie Attired, and little Popper, a tree frog schoolmate on hyperdrive, to dig up the dirt: the real Principal Zero has been kidnapped by thugs who plan to smooth-talk the PTA into turning Emerson Hickey into a vocational school—for young crooks. Hale throws in wisecracks by the handful, terrible jokes ("Why was the tuna so sad when he lost his wife? He lobster and couldn't flounder! Ha ha!"), and daffy clues, tucks in an occasional broadly comic pen-and-ink sketch of his trenchcoat-clad shamus and associates, and brings the pot, er, plot, to a boil at a raucous PTA meeting that sees the crooks nabbed in the nick. Hold on to your fedoras: this gecko's going places. (Fiction. 8-10)