The grilled cheese caper

by | Aug 20, 2025

Jason Platt is an experienced illustrator who has written previous graphic novels. His humor and light touch show up in this mystery that includes multiple references to the classics of detective history.

Purrlock, a short yellow cat with a white collar and blue tie, is hungry. Marlowe, his partner, is a tall brown dog with a white belly and a calmer foil in Purrlock’s wilder moments – like when he accuses his arch-nemesis, Meowiearty, of stealing all their food! Their argument is postponed when they set off for the grilled cheese festival, but when it turns out all the grilled cheese has been stolen, it’s time to investigate!

Accompanied by Purrlock’s grumbling stomach, they interview suspects including, at Purrlock’s insistence, the rich and snobbish tiger Meowiearty. Finally, they gather all their suspects together for a dramatic confrontation and the true culprit is revealed! Readers who pay close attention to the clues will be able to solve the mystery alongside the two detectives and maybe they’ll even enjoy ending the story with a tasty grilled cheese sandwich – or at least skimming the homage to classic mysteries Platt includes at the end.

Platt’s cartoon style is distinctive, but not so much that he doesn’t adapt it to each new book. He pairs sharp angles with elongated caricatures of faces and lots of fast-moving action. Purrlock and Marlowe are contrasts not only in personality but also in image, with Purrlock drawn as two round balls and Marlowe a rectangular head on a long, oval body. Marlowe is constantly rolling his eyes and looking exasperated at Purrlock’s hunger-fueled obsession with Meowiearty, who is humorously portrayed as tiger in a luxurious purple suit and monocle (a true sign of evil!). His annoyed sniffs at the pair show that he’s not necessarily a nice feline, but also (probably) not truly a villain – and certainly not the sandwich thief. Purrlock’s revelation of his past sporting career marks him as not the brightest sardine in the can, but he’s definitely enthusiastic, bouncing along at Marlowe’s side and always ready with new ideas, whether it’s about suspects or what to have for dinner.

Platt has a knack of creating titles that fit perfectly into the “if you liked that popular series, you’ll like this” mold with his previous series, Middle School Misadventures being a great read-alike for Diary of a Wimpy Kid and this latest series a great choice for Investigators fans. There are, unfortunately, very few characters coded as female, which is disappointing – there are at least a few female sleuths in the classic detective genre. On the positive side, there’s a subtle message about not making assumptions and thinking critically. Overall, this is a light, funny read that elementary age readers will enjoy.

Paw & Order Vol. 1: The Grilled Cheese Caper
By Jason Platt
NBM Papercutz, 2025
ISBN: 9781545819944

Company Age Rating: Ages 6-10

NFNT Age Recommendation: Middle Grade (7-11)

Jackson’s Wilder Adventures

by | Sep 11, 2024

Jack, a red-head kid of about six years old, is playing an exciting game with his stuffed toy thylacine, Irwin, when his dad calls him to dinner. Dinner is a layered stack of leftovers—yuck! Even Dad, a muscled man with shaggy brown hair, a beard, and a tattoo peeking out from his sleeve, looks guilty at the mix of macaroni, jello, mashed potatoes, and brown glop he’s serving. Irwin, in Calvin and Hobbes-style, comes to life as soon as Dad is out of the room. He’s a head taller than Jack, walking on his hind legs and sporting a red bandana.

Irwin promises to teach Jack what “gross food” is really like and takes him in their teleporter (a classic brown box) to see what animals eat around the world. They visit Arctic terns on the Faroe Islands, blue-tailed ground lizards (and their prey—tarantulas) in Puerto Rico, and dung beetles in Nebraska. Each section introducing an animal concludes with a maze or seek-and-find activity and when Jack returns, he definitely feels differently about his own dinner!

The book segues into Jack’s next adventure, starting off with an imaginary game of pirates and moving into Jack’s reluctance to move homes. This trip with Irwin takes them to visit the vanishing habitats of the African wild dog, hyacinth macaws, and polar bears. At the end of their adventure, Irwin reminds Jack that his species, thylacines, are long-extinct as well and Jack decides his own move isn’t so bad after all.

Colorful, cartoon-style art shows the adventures of the pair in different habitats with more realistic art portraying the different animals they see. The art is not overly detailed, focusing on the different animals who are the subject of each adventure, but giving a general idea of their diet and living conditions. Jack wears different costumes for each exploration, from a safari outfit to Arctic explorer’s jacket, but Irwin always looks the same with his red bandana knotted around his neck. Irwin is a friendly adult presence, guiding Jack through the different adventures and explaining the things they see in child-friendly language.

There’s definitely a “eat your dinner there are starving children in the world” vibe to Jack’s adventures, as well as a strong “other foods are gross” theme, but I think most young readers are unlikely to notice or internalize these messages. They’re far more likely to be fascinated and grossed out by the different foods animals eat, interested in their habitats, and eager for more adventures with Jack and Irwin. Jack is portrayed as, and responds to events, like a fairly young child and I think kids will recognize this as well as immature behavior.

Young elementary students who are fairly fluent readers and enjoy animal facts and information will enjoy this blend of fact and fiction and it will fit well into classrooms studying habitats.

Jackson’s Wilder Adventures Habits & Habitats
By Sarah Davidson
Papercutz, 2024
ISBN: 9781545800843

NFNT Age Recommendation: Easy Readers (5-9)