Ramon Fellini the Dog Detective coming February 11th, 2025 from Eerdmans Books for Young Readers; 44 pages
Content Warning: Pet harm and loss
About the Author and Illustrator: “Writer and illustrator of picture books, Guilherme Karsten was born and lives in Blumenau, southern Brazil. He studied Advertising and Graphic Design, and started his illustration career in animation and fashion industry. In 2010, he illustrated his first children’s book. Since then he’s illustrated more than 30 books from Brazilian and international authors. Leading him to start writing himself, and in 2017, “The Ride!”, his first book as an author & illustrator, won the honorable mention at the 2017 Serpa International Picture Book Prize (Planeta Tangerina, Portugal)” (Bio from author’s website).
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When a boy’s pet fish is injured and left stranded on the ground, a new type of detective comes to the rescue! Deciding to go incognito as a cat, Ramon Fellini, the dog detective, works to help put the boy’s mind at ease. Investigating possible criminal intentions and motives, Ramon Fellini helps uncover the truth of what happened to the boy’s beloved pet. Filled with mystery, humor, and deception, Ramon Fellini the Dog Detective uses stunning illustrations to introduce the mystery genre to young readers.
I really enjoyed many aspects of this picture book, but the art was what stood out to me, and you can certainly tell that illustration is Karsten’s strong suit. The images were beautifully done, and a lot of the fish’s expressions added much-appreciated humor to the story. An aspect that seems worth mentioning is the translation from the original Portuguese. While the text is understandable, there are some points where the language feels a bit clunky and unnatural to me as a native English speaker. That being said, I think the more formal register that comes across at times could be helpful for young readers who are developing their language and comprehension skills. However, I had an issue with the plot of the story, because the child never realizes what happens to the fish or the detective’s true identity or motive. I felt that the story would be more impactful if the real mystery uncovered was the detective’s ulterior motives rather than who tried to harm the fish—especially since this book is marked as an introduction to the mystery genre. The plot was a bit lackluster for me and left me feeling conflicted. On the one hand, it is the perfect book for younger children to practice their comprehension and inference skills. On the other hand, it felt a bit condescending for the reader to be able to clearly understand what’s going on while leaving the boy in the story to remain naive and gullible. Despite my personal feelings, Karsten’s story is one that younger readers may enjoy, especially since the irony used in the story aligns with the humor many younger readers have.
Ramon Fellini the Dog Detective releases on February 11th, 2025
Pine Reads Review would like to thank Eerdmans Books for Young Readers and Guilherme Karsten for sending us an ARC in exchange for an honest review. Any quotes are taken from an advanced copy and may be subject to change before final publication.
Vanshikha Vij, Pine Reads Review Writer