The Pangolins Are Missing!

 My Mum is a Spy! by Andy McNab and Jess French, illustrated by Nathan Reed (Welbeck Flame, 2022)

As a boy, one of my most renewed library books was The KnowHow Book of Spycraft (and incidentally, I'm delighted  that a 40th Anniversary edition - that dates me! - has been published). The arcane mysteries of codebreaking and the magic of lemon juice invisible ink became irresistible additions to the games I would play with my friends. In our imaginations, we were spies and detectives, solving crimes local to our streets, leaving coded messages in hedges and 'secret' signs made out of twigs on pavements. But it must be said, we never had anything as exciting to unravel as Idris and Lucia in Andy McNab and Jess French's utterly delightful My Mum is a Spy! - a clutch of pangolins has been pango-napped from the zoo!

Idris and Lucía are a brilliant detective duo: he is sensitive and brings his deep knowledge of the animal kingdom to the adventure; she is bold with an uncanny knack for observation. Whilst at the start of the story they may seem an unlikely pair, they learn to work together sparking off each other in their unified purpose. By the end we are more than eager to follow them into their next adventure (due next year!).

The story is slickly written with a cracking pace but not so fast as to preclude moments where we can learn more deeply about the two main characters. It is a perfect balance, satisfyingly well-rounded characters who develop as part of an exciting adventurous plot. 

One aspect of the book that I particularly enjoyed was the passionate advocacy of care for the environment and yet is never forced or didactic. I love how the young readers of this book are given such positive role models: Idris' love of animals and emphatic avoidance of palm oil are but two things we can all learn from.

Overall, this is a perfect read aloud or novel for individual readers in Years 3 or 4. McNab's and French's storytelling together with the zany warmth of Nathan Reed's illustrations, make for the perfect combination in what, I hope, will become a very well-loved series.   

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Reading Activities

If you are reading this book with individuals, groups or even a whole class here are a few things you might all like to think about and discuss. Each of the numbered items in the list that follows relates to that chapter. Remember that Book Chat always makes reading an even greater pleasure!

1. Look at the picture on p. 6. How do we know it is a picture of Idris' room? What other clues are there about him in the picture? 
2. Find out some facts about pangolins. What is the difference between an animal being endangered to one being critically endangered? 
3. Idris is starting to have second thoughts - might his mum be a spy?? He thinks losing her purse is the only suspicious thing....but is there anything else?
4. Look at the picture on pages 46 and 47. Now use the clues in that picture to work out where that place would be on the map (page 41). 
5. Moira and Victor seem VERY different zookeepers. Make a list of ways in which they are different.
6. How does writing in 'invisible ink' lemon juice work?!
7. In this chapter, what made the passcodes that the group tried first bad choices? What makes a good passcode? What might you choose? - remember, keep it secret!!
8. What do YOU think a 'Code Red Kite' is? What does Code Red mean? But Code Red Kite...?
9. The key to the house is hidden in a very clever place! Look at the picture on page 107. Where else might be a good place to hide a key? 
10. Mum takes special care to tell Idris that the treat chocolate is 'Palm Oil Free' - why is this so important to Idris? Check some packet ingredients in real life. Which foods have Palm Oil in them? 
11. The Countess rubs her hands together 'hungrily'. What does this mean? What is she 'hungry' for? 
12. Lucía says that she doesn't like keeping the truth about Idris' mum from her dad. Do you think she should tell him or not? 
13. Lucía and Idris think The Walrus is so called because of his moustache. But why is mum's codename Maned Wolf? And what would your agent/animal codename be and why? 
14. What is a quesadilla? 
15. Can you explain the reasons why Lucía and Idris’ code names turn out to be Hawk and Wolfcub?

My Mum is a Spy! is published TODAY (18th August 2022) Please support independent bookshops where you can! With many thanks to Louisa Danquah and Sabina Maharjan for their help with this blog.