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The Adventures of Erasmus Twiddle: Grmkville's Famous & Talented Not-Detective [Hardcover]

Eric Laster (Author), Amy Abshier-Reyes (Illustrator)

4.8 out of 5 stars See all reviews (12 customer reviews)

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Book Description

Publication Date: Oct 1 2001

Erasmus Twiddle knows that anyone can be a detective if they send four bottle caps, three proof-of-purchase seals from their favorite cereal, two AA batteries, and one rattlesnake skin to P.O. Box 12345. But being a not-detective is far more complex. Just ask Erasmus Twiddle. When things are not only missing but also, well, very out of sorts, it's time for Grmkville's famous and talented not-detective to spring into action. Whether it's investigating a rubber chicken factory, unpuzzling a puzzled baboon, or figuring out how a lonely rabbit-hippo can make a few friends, it's most assuredly the not-detective who solves the mystery. Or the not-mystery, for that matter.

So if you think your hojie or oogoo has been stolen, or a furious elf marches into town and kicks you in the shin, then this book is for you. And that's why our hero is Grmkville's famous and talented not-detective...and why all the un-famous and un-talented detectives live somewhere else.

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Product Details

Hardcover: 208 pages
Publisher: Simon & Schuster Children's Publishing (Oct 1 2001)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0689842457
ISBN-13: 978-0689842450
Product Dimensions: 19.2 x 14.3 x 2.1 cm
Shipping Weight: 318 g

Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars See all reviews (12 customer reviews)

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Product Description

From Publishers Weekly

This rather inane collection of episodes told by a self-conscious narrator centers on a young sleuth from Grmkville and his eccentric fellow residents. "By the way, Erasmus is not a three-legged goat who can recite the Japanese alphabet backwards while balancing a cane on the tip of his nose and dancing the Charleston. You probably knew that already, but I thought I should tell it to you all the same," notes the narrator, introducing the hero. Among the mysteries and "not-mysteries" Erasmus cracks are locating Letty Faffenhuffal-Hefenfaffer's stolen soggy dumpling and retrieving the "Lost Thought" of a puzzled baboon who plunks down in the middle of a busy intersection, causing a traffic jam. Eagle-eyed Erasmus also manages to capture the culprit who has purloined the townsfolk's "Every furgle and fleb and grumber and hojie,/ Every ploff and yonk and oogoo and eebee." The offbeat cast of characters includes Lolly Gallagher, a classmate of Erasmus with a weather system hovering above her head, and Bagby Butterbottom, an aspiring actor pal who loves to reciteth lines from his favorite plays (e.g., The Merry Munchkins of Windsor). Though occasionally amusingly nonsensical, first-time author Laster's rather repetitive narrative leans more toward banal than clever. Abshier contributes diverting black-and-white drawings. Ages 8-12.

From School Library Journal

Gr 4-6-The town of Grmkville is populated with oddballs and fantastic creatures, such as the bouncing rabbit-hippo. Whenever a problem or mystery presents itself, it is up to Erasmus Twiddle to find the solution. Aided by his thespian best friend, who speaks in a Shakespearean gibberish, the boy solves thefts of items such as rubber chickens, elf mints, and soggy dumplings. Grmkville is inhabited with ridiculous, broad characters and talking animals, including a donkey and two weevils. The "mysteries" prove to be zany plot devices rather than puzzles to be solved by readers. The narrator is a character also and communicates with both the audience and with Erasmus. The author presents the story in present tense, an uncomfortable choice. The adventures are contrived, but the characters are silly and bizarre. Abshier's illustrations provide excellent visuals of the more preposterous characters. While not in the same league with Donald Sobol's "Encyclopedia Brown" series and Louis Sachar's "Wayside School" books (Avon), Twiddle's adventures might find an audience among more capable reluctant readers and fans of those series.

Amy Stultz, Leesburg Public Library, FL

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Customer Reviews

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12 reviews

4.8 out of 5 stars

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Most helpful customer reviews

5.0 out of 5 stars I look forward to seeing more of Erasmus in the future. July 12 2004

By KidsReads

Format:Hardcover

Let's get one thing straight: Erasmus Twiddle is not a detective. Anyone can be a detective these days just by saving the correct number of proof of purchase seals or bottle caps. Erasmus wants nothing to with any of that disreputable lot and would thank me for making the distinction quite, quite clear. This does not mean that Erasmus is adverse to solving a mystery every now and again. In fact, he enjoys it. Since Erasmus if only a little older than you are, he isn't the person you call if something really big goes wrong---kidnapping for instance---but if your rubber chicken goes missing or if your soggy dumpling refuse to become soggy enough, Erasmus is the one you want. He'll come in and use all his special non-dectective powers of observation to help. That's why he's the most famous non-dectective in Grmkville, if not the world.

A collection of fourteen short mysteries, THE ADVENTURES OF ERASMUS TWIDDLE is a good book to take along to read when you have a little time in your jammed packed social schedule. When your Mom is late picking you up from soccer practice or she drags you to the supermarket and all the lines are rrreeeaaallllllyyyy long. The stories themselves are chock full with character with names like Bagley Butterbottom (AKA Andrew Michaels) Erasmus's friend and sidekick---that is when he isn't too busy being a pirate. But the best thing about the stories is you can solve the mysteries if you read carefully and use your own special powers of observation. I look forward to seeing more of Erasmus in the future.

--- (...)

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4.0 out of 5 stars 5-year-old's mom Jan 10 2002

By A Customer

Format:Hardcover

O.K., so it is a little inane. It's also a lot of fun, especially read aloud. My son is on his second listening, and loves to giggle as we go along. What's nice for little kids is that there are no scary parts, but there is still suspense. And I love the little girl with her personal weather system.

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5.0 out of 5 stars My rather inane kids loved it! Nov 21 2001

By john r. turner

Format:Hardcover

good thing the publishers weekly reviewer has a day job, cause he'll never make it as a judge of what kids like (he said the book was 'rather inane'). my 4 kids loved it, but then again, what would they know - they're just kids.

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Most recent customer reviews

5.0 out of 5 stars Twiddle makes Sherlock look like he's a baby!

I think this book is really funny. The Auther puts the book in
fun to read storie, and the people in the cases are funny too. Read more

Published on Nov 21 2001

5.0 out of 5 stars The Adventures of Erasmus Twiddle

I thought it was humorous and exciting. It is a good mystery book. It is so good you could read it twice and find new things to laugh about.