THE PINCHERS AND THE CURSE OF THE EGYPTIAN CAT

Will Theo ever become a criminal? A family story, an ancient curse, and a journey through the zoo may hold the answers.

Theo Pincher’s the only honest member in a family of crooks. When he serves as lookout for his thieving family members, his stomach knots in anxiety—much to their disappointment. After he and his sister, Ellen, wander into an antiques shop and break a statue of the Egyptian cat goddess Bastet, they learn that they may have unleashed an ancient family curse. Turns out, their globe-trotting ancestor Pick once swiped that same statue, which was guarding Tuttan-K’s tomb, and found himself cursed—sadly, he was unable ever to steal again. Now Ellen has turned honest, while Theo’s becoming a cunning young delinquent. The shop’s owner, Anne Tique, gives the family a letter hidden inside the broken statue: A series of mysterious clues will show them how to undo the curse. Following the clues, the Pinchers sneak into the local zoo that night, where they must contend with monkeys and a stern zookeeper who forces trespassers to spend the night in the poisonous spider exhibit. Will Theo ever return to his old self again? Laced with dry humor, this wildly fantastical, gripping narrative zips along to a satisfying conclusion. Gustavsson’s atmospheric, action-packed, full-page images and vignettes bring to life both thrills and hilariously wacky antics. Most characters are light-skinned.

Another lively, funny jaunt with this unforgettable family.