Jackie and the Shadow Snatcher

Difiori, Lawrence

ISBN 10: 0375975152 ISBN 13: 9780375975158

Publisher: Knopf Books for Young Readers, 2006

Synopsis

Jackie is on his way home from school when he discovers that his shadow is gone! Did he lose it just like he lost his lunch pail and math book or could this be the work of the elusive Shadow Snatcher? With the help of his bulldog, Buster, and Mr. Socrates (the smartest man in the world), Jackie attempts a daring rescue to save his shadow from the Shadow Snatcher, who has sinister plans to conceal his crimes under a cloak of stolen shadows. Using a graphic-novel-inspired style for the artwork, Larry Di Fiori has created an old-fashioned caper perfect for keeping five- to eight-year-olds on the edge of their seats.
From the Hardcover edition.

About this title

From School Library Journal:

PreSchool-Grade 2–A debut picture book done in a graphic-novel format and set in the 1920s. While Jackie walks home from school, his shadow is stolen from him. Alerted to the theft by his bulldog, Baxter, the boy tries to find it. His elderly friend, Mr. Socrates, helps. They realize that the infamous Shadow Snatcher has escaped from prison and re-embarked on his life of crime. Jackie's shadow is eventually retrieved and the robbers are last seen being chased by the coppers. The boxed black-and-white pencil cartoons give the book a nostalgic tone. There is quite a bit of dialogue, much of which would need to be read aloud to children, and many of the references to mystery-genre conventions will go over their heads. Di Fiori is better at drawing evocative and sophisticated buildings and landscapes than he is at people, and Baxter is the most effectively drawn and animated-looking character. There is a need for comics/graphic novels for younger readers; this one is not a necessary purchase, but may help fill some of that void.–B. Allison Gray, John Jermain Library, Sag Harbor, NY
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From Booklist:

K-Gr. 2. In this picture-book-size graphic novel, Di Fiori uses black-and-white illustrations to tell the story of Jackie, a boy who has lost his lunch pail, his math book, and his shadow. Wise Mr. Socrates tells Jackie that the evil Shadow Snatcher is the thief, and Jackie must confront him to get his shadow back. Accompanied by his faithful dog, Baxter, Jackie goes to the spooky old house across the river to face the Shadow Snatcher and his henchman. Judging by the villains' car, Di Fiori has set his story sometime in the 1920s, and the Shadow Snatcher bears a strong resemblance to an old pulp-fiction hero, the Shadow. While the characters look as though they could be in a Betty Boop cartoon, the scenery is beautifully detailed without overwhelming the panels. Children will care less about that, however, than about the rollicking, old-fashioned adventure, which reads like a comic book, and about Jackie, who presses on despite his fears. Kat Kan
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

About this edition

• Publisher: Knopf Books for Young Readers
• Publication date: 2006
• ISBN 10: 0375975152
• ISBN 13: 9780375975158
• Binding: Library Binding
• Number of pages: 32