The great detective Seymour Sleuth and his photographer Muggs travel to Borneo to help find the legendary Black Flower of Sumatra, a possible cure for the hiccups. Kindergarten-Grade 4-Seymour Sleuth returns in another amusing adventure. Threats to a famous scientist seeking a rare plant lure the detective and his photographer sidekick to the wilds of Borneo. As in his previous outing, Seymour keeps a written account of his investigation in scrapbook style. Snapshotlike illustrations, ticket stubs, and mysterious notes share space with the sleuth's narrative, notes to himself, and occasional food spills and smudges. The text appears to be hand lettered, adding to the story's appeal and authenticity. It is nonethless easy to read with plenty of space between the lines. Cushman arranges his pages artfully, assuring that all the leads are clearly presented while the story flows smoothly around them. As before, Seymour's "Notes on the Clues" and "Notes on the Suspects" offer young readers the chance to sort out the puzzle for themselves. Humorous details abound, from Seymour's vaccination report to the characters' expressive names to the "hoof" prints taken after the culprit is unmasked. Once again, Cushman has created an entertaining story. Lisa Dennis, The Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh, PA Copyright 1999 Reed Business Information, Inc. This clever mystery will really engage kids. It marks the return of famous detective Seymour Sleuth, who made his debut in The Mystery of King Karfu (1996). This time, Seymour and his sidekick, Abbott Muggs, find themselves in the rain forests of Borneo, where the great explorer Dr. Irene A. Tann is searching for the legendary Black Flower of Sumatra, which is believed to be a cure for the hiccups. Dr. Tann is receiving threatening notes, and it's up to Seymour to find the culprit. The book's pages are lined to look like notebook pages, complete with dated entries that describe the action, drawings, and physical clues. The mystery is easy to follow yet challenging, and kids will love the cast of colorful animal characters. Cushman's illustrations add to the fun, with animated jungle scenes depicting all the action. A great way to introduce or reinforce deductive reasoning. Lauren Peterson PLB 0-06-027720-3 A broadly comic, slapstick mystery. Seymour Sleuth is called to Borneo where Dr. Irene A. Tann (an orangutan) is searching for the Black Flower of Sumatra, which will cure hiccups. But her quest is being sabotagedsand in the sugar bowl, knots in the underwearand threatening notes are arriving. The intrepid Seymour and his faithful assistant and photographer Abbott Muggs search for clues and interview the other members of the camp: a reporter, a local guide, and Dr. Tann's assistant. Among the clues: chocolate smudges on the notes, and a pin with someone's initials. Seymour solves the mystery, accompanies the band through the monkey's maze where they find the Black Flower and another surprise. All the characters are animals and the text is in Sleuth's notebook printing, with photographs by Muggs attached along with realia like the map of Borneo and their plane tickets. It's very lightweight, doesn't take itself too seriously, and gives readers a funny first taste of some of the well-loved elements of mysteries. (Picture book. 4-8) -- Copyright ©1999, Kirkus Associates, LP. All rights reserved. "[An] inventive story with a clue-filled plot, plenty of humor, and an innovative presentation" -- -- Starred Review/School Library Journal Doug Cushman is the creator of several I Can Read Books about Aunt Eater, the mystery-solving anteater, as well as two mystery picture books about Seymour Sleuth: The Mystery of King Karfu and The Mystery of the Monkey's Maze . He lives in Redding, California.