David Mottram – illustratör

The first in a young middle grade animal series in which an anxious Boston Terrier and an exuberant potbellied pig team up to solve crimes in their barnyard—from debut author PJ Gardner, with illustrations by David Mottram. Perfect for fans of the Mercy Watson series, The Trouble with Chickens, and A Boy Called Bat.Horace Homer Higgins III despises dirt. And the outdoors. And ducks. But when his person, Ellie, moves to a farm called the Homestead, the anxious Boston Terrier is forced to adapt. As if that isn’t enough to strain his nerves, Ellie adopts a perpetually cheerful potbellied pig named Bunwinkle to be his baby sister.Bunwinkle is delighted to be on the farm despite the stuffiness of her new canine brother. She’s sure she’ll crack his shell eventually—no one can resist her cuteness for long—especially once they bond over watching a TV pet-tective show.When the duo discovers that some neighborhood animals have been disappearing, they decide to use their new detective skills to team up to solve this barnyard mystery. Is it a mountain lion? Or their suspiciously shot-loving veterinarians? Only one thing seems certain: if they don’t figure it out soon, one of them might be next.

The first in a young middle gradeanimal series in which an anxious Boston Terrier and an exuberant potbelliedpig team up to solve crimes in their barnyard—from debut author PJ Gardner,with illustrations by David Mottram. Perfect for fans of the Mercy Watsonseries, The Trouble with Chickens, and A Boy Called Bat.Horace HomerHiggins III despises dirt. And the outdoors. And ducks. But when his person, Ellie,moves to a farm called the Homestead, the anxious Boston Terrier is forced toadapt. As if that isn’t enough to strain his nerves, Ellie adopts a perpetuallycheerful potbellied pig named Bunwinkle to be his baby sister.Bunwinkle isdelighted to be on the farm despite the stuffiness of her new canine brother.She’s sure she’ll crack his shell eventually—no one can resist her cuteness forlong—especially once they bond over watching a TV pet-tective show.When the duo discovers thatsome neighborhood animals have been disappearing, they decide to use their newdetective skills to team up to solve this barnyard mystery. Is it a mountainlion? Or their suspiciously shot-loving veterinarians? Only one thing seemscertain: if they don’t figure it out soon, one of them might be next.

The first in a young middle grade animal series in which an anxious Boston Terrier and an exuberant potbellied pig team up to solve crimes in their barnyard—from debut author PJ Gardner, with illustrations by David Mottram.Perfect for fans of the Mercy Watson series, The Trouble with Chickens, and A Boy Called Bat.Horace Homer Higgins III despises dirt. And the outdoors. And ducks. But when his person, Ellie, moves to a farm called the Homestead, the anxious Boston Terrier is forced to adapt. As if that isn''t enough to strain his nerves, Ellie adopts a perpetually cheerful potbellied pig named Bunwinkle to be his baby sister.Bunwinkle is delighted to be on the farm despite the stuffiness of her new canine brother. She''s sure she''ll crack his shell eventually—no one can resist her cuteness for long—especially once they bond over watching a TV pet-tective show.When the duo discovers that some neighborhood animals have been disappearing, they decide to use their new detective skills to team up to solve this barnyard mystery. Is it a mountain lion? Or their suspiciously shot-loving veterinarians? Only one thing seems certain: if they don''t figure it out soon, one of them might be next.

The second book in a young middle grade mystery-adventure series about Horace, an anxious Boston Terrier, and Bunwinkle, an exuberant potbellied pig, who team up to solve crimes in their barnyard and local neighborhood—perfect for fans of Mercy Watson, The Trouble with Chickens, and A Boy Called Bat.Horace is flying high after solving the pet-tectives' first mystery. But Bunwinkle just hasn’t been herself—she’s scared all the time and is too embarrassed to tell anyone.Before they can work on getting Bunwinkle’s confidence back, a new case lands in their laps—well, actually their trash cans—when Shoo the raccoon asks for help. The neighborhood humans think he’s behind a series of garbage upheavals and home break-ins—but he swears he’s innocent. Just because people call him a trash bandit doesn’t mean he is one.To make matters worse, while the pet-tectives are trying to clear Shoo’s name, they learn that Eleanor is having money problems. She hopes to solve them by starting a community Farmer’s Market in the back field. The neighbors seem excited to help at first but then, one by one, they suddenly drop out. With time running out, can the pet-tectives solve the mysteries and save Shoo and the Homestead?

The second book in a young middle grade mystery-adventure series about Horace, an anxious Boston Terrier, and Bunwinkle, an exuberant potbellied pig, who team up to solve crimes in their barnyard and local neighborhood—perfect for fans of Mercy Watson, The Trouble with Chickens, and A Boy Called Bat.Horace is flying high after solving the pet-tectives'' first mystery. But Bunwinkle just hasn''t been herself—she''s scared all the time and is too embarrassed to tell anyone.Before they can work on getting Bunwinkle''s confidence back, a new case lands in their laps—well, actually their trash cans—when Shoo the raccoon asks for help. The neighborhood humans think he''s behind a series of garbage upheavals and home break-ins—but he swears he''s innocent. Just because people call him a trash bandit doesn''t mean he is one.To make matters worse, while the pet-tectives are trying to clear Shoo''s name, they learn that Eleanor is having money problems. She hopes to solve them by starting a community Farmer''s Market in the back field. The neighbors seem excited to help at first but then, one by one, they suddenly drop out.With time running out, can the pet-tectives solve the mysteries and save Shoo and the Homestead?

The final book in a young middle grade mystery-adventure series about Horace, an anxious Boston Terrier, and Bunwinkle, an exuberant potbellied pig, who team up to solve crimes in their barnyard and neighborhood.In this third mystery, the pet-tective duo must solve a series of crimes at the local Renaissance Faire. Perfect for fans of Mercy Watson, The Trouble with Chickens, and A Boy Called Bat.Life is never quiet at the Homestead. First, it was disappearing animals, then a power-hungry dairy queen. Now its a Renaissance Faire, a noisy, stinky spectaclethat drives Horace to distraction. Bunwinkle, on the other hand, cant get enough of the festivitiesshe loves the thrilling jousts, the court intrigueand especially the pickles on a stick.But when Eleanor and Clarys ice cream buckets are stolen, and several of the food stalls are vandalized, its clear that theres something fishy going on at the faire. And suddenly the pet-tectives find themselves with a new case on their hands.One things for certain: Theres no shortage of suspects. From Wendell, the nosy vegetable vendor, to Dean, the alpaca farmer whos been getting a bit too close to Eleanor, to Uta Hawken, a Shakespeare-spouting red-tailed hawk, the culprit could be anyone.Can the pet-tectives solve this royally tough case before the faire is ruinedor worse?

Named one of “13 Detective Book Series You Obsessed Over as a Kid” by Buzzfeed and the inspiration for a hit Disney film, the masterful Great Mouse Detective is back and scurrying off to Paris to discover who’s threatening the organizers of the Great Cheese Cook-off!Basil the mouse detective is called to Paris when the organizers of the Great Cheese Cook-off (an international culinary competition) start receiving threats against the event. Who could want to deprive all of mousedom of one of its tastiest nights? Basil immediately suspects Ratigan, who has escaped yet again and was seen lurking around Paris (and who, perhaps, holds a particular grudge against the event’s organizers). He sets off on his investigation at the event’s location, the Parisian College of Cooking (where local foodie mice hide out and take advantage of the school’s kitchens after the human students have departed each evening). But Basil is baffled when circumstantial evidence shows that it couldn’t have been his old enemy after all. With one suspect crossed off the list, it’s up to Basil to find out what’s going on—before those anonymouse threats ruin the Cook-Off—for good!

Named one of “13 Detective Book Series You Obsessed Over as a Kid” by BuzzFeed and the inspiration for a hit Disney film, the masterful Great Mouse Detective is back and ready to find out what happened when two royal princes disappear!With Sherlock Holmes away on a case, Basil and Doctor Dawson find themselves at loose ends until an urgent message arrives: Basil’s services are required by the noblemice of Marlborough House! Marlborough House is the home of Edward, the Prince of Wales (second child and eldest son of Queen Victoria) who lives there with various children and family members. Unbeknownst to the human royals, there is a corresponding clan of noblemice living there as well. At the moment, the human royal family is hosting the visiting royal family of Bohemia, along with that family’s corresponding group of stowaway noblemice. However, the teen noblemice of both houses have vanished without a trace and everyone fears that one of the royal dogs may be responsible for the disappearance. Can Basil help? It’s going to require all of the great detective’s skills to solve this case! Especially since it involves princes and pups, royal mice, the latest in photographic equipment, and a possible love match…but they don’t call Basil the Great Mouse Detective for nothing.

The inspiration for a hit Disney film and named one of “13 Detective Book Series You Obsessed Over as a Kid” by BuzzFeed, the masterful Great Mouse Detective is back and ready to investigate a library haunting!Basil of Baker’s Street, the masterful mouse detective who studied under Sherlock Holmes, is on his way to a school reunion with his old friends from Ratcliffe College. Along for the trip is his steadfast companion, Doctor Dawson. But all is not well, as they soon learn that the dastardly Ratigan has escaped from prison in London. Could the rat possibly be planning revenge against his old nemesis, Basil himself? But before Basil and Dawson can worry too much about the wily rat, they hear another piece of worrying news. The duo arrives in Oxford only to be informed that the library of Basil’s old college is haunted! The students are thoroughly spooked, and the whole mess threatens to sour the festive mood of the reunion. Basil, for one, doesn’t believe in the supernatural and plans to put the rumors to rest. But the strange occurrences continue, without any obvious explanation. Is this one case that can stump even the Great Mouse Detective? And as Basil and Dawson dig deeper, are there even more sinister secrets afoot?

Ocean’s Eleven meets The Secret Life of Pets in this “classic caper” (Booklist) following a ragtag group of pets who will do whatever it takes to avoid being sent to the pound.Butterbean knew she wasn’t always a good dog. Still, she’d never considered herself a BAD dog—until the morning that her owner, Mrs. Food, fell in the hallway. Admittedly the tile was slipperier than usual, mostly because Butterbean had just thrown up on it. Now Butterbean and her fellow pets have to come up with a grand plan to support themselves in case Mrs. Food is unable to keep taking care of them. When they discover a mysterious man in their building who seems to have lots of loot, they plan a heist. Oscar the mynah bird is the brains of the operation. Walt the cat has the necessary slyness and slink. Marco and Polo are the reconnaissance rats. And Butterbean...well, no one would ever suspect a cute little wiener dog, right? Can these animal friends can pull off the heist of the century?

Ocean’s Eleven meets The Secret Life of Pets in this “classic caper” (Booklist) following a ragtag group of pets who will do whatever it takes to avoid being sent to the pound.Butterbean knew she wasn’t always a good dog. Still, she’d never considered herself a BAD dog—until the morning that her owner, Mrs. Food, fell in the hallway. Admittedly the tile was slipperier than usual, mostly because Butterbean had just thrown up on it. Now Butterbean and her fellow pets have to come up with a grand plan to support themselves in case Mrs. Food is unable to keep taking care of them. When they discover a mysterious man in their building who seems to have lots of loot, they plan a heist. Oscar the mynah bird is the brains of the operation. Walt the cat has the necessary slyness and slink. Marco and Polo are the reconnaissance rats. And Butterbean...well, no one would ever suspect a cute little wiener dog, right? Can these animal friends can pull off the heist of the century?

Join Basil, the Sherlock Holmes of the mouse world—and the inspiration for the hit Disney film The Great Mouse Detective—as he solves some of his most thrilling cases in this entertaining boxed set!Basil—the detective mastermind of the mouse world—lives in the cellar of Sherlock Holmes’s house. A devoted admirer of the great detective, he has learned his craft by listening at the feet of Holmes himself. Join Basil and his friend, Dr. Dawson, they solve some of their most baffling cases in this collectible boxed set! The paperback boxed set includes: Basil of Baker Street Basil and the Cave of Cats Basil in Mexico Basil in the Wild West Basil and the Lost Colony Basil and the Big Cheese Cook-Off Basil and the Royal Dare Basil and the Library Ghost

The Secret Life of Pets meets Scooby Doo as furry friends hunt down a ghost in this hilarious sequel to The Great Pet Heist that is “silly business galore” (Kirkus Reviews)!Butterbean is bored. She and the other pets pulled off a heist once, but that was like a million years ago. Nothing exciting has happened since then. That is, until Mrs. Third Floor shows up at their apartment, convinced there’s a ghost in the building. Mrs. Third Floor’s rental unit is showing signs of paranormal activity—eerie noises, objects moving when no one is there, fish disappearing from the tank overnight. The pets decide to investigate. Soon they’re confronted with a bigger problem than just ghosts: professional ghost hunters who are offering to drive out the spirits for a hefty fee. It’s up to Butterbean and the rest of the gang to save Mrs. Third Floor from losing her life savings to scammers, all while dealing with some really annoying new animals. Can the furry friends uncover the truth in time?

The Secret Life of Pets meets Spy School as furry friends come out of retirement to do some secret spy work sure to inspire “chuckles aplenty” (Kirkus Reviews) in this hilarious companion to The Great Pet Heist and The Great Ghost Hoax.Big plans are afoot! Butterbean is going to become a therapist (unless maybe she means a therapy dog?). The white cat is going to do a commercial for caviar-flavored pet treats. And Wallace is moving into a great new apartment. But these plans don’t include a group of rowdy raccoons taking over the loading dock and throwing the building into turmoil. Now residents from the whole building are coming to the Strathmore Seven for help—from Second Floor Biscuit, a Yorkie with an unfortunate haircut who faces eviction for barking at the intruders, to the loading dock rats, who are feeling intimidated and upset. And even worse, Madison gets blamed for the vandalism! It’s up to Butterbean and the rest of the pets to stop the raccoons and restore their friend’s reputation—before it’s too late.

The Secret Life of Pets meets Spy School as furry friends come out of retirement to do some secret spy work sure to inspire “chuckles aplenty” (Kirkus Reviews) in this hilarious companion to The Great Pet Heist and The Great Ghost Hoax.Big plans are afoot! Butterbean is going to become a therapist (unless maybe she means a therapy dog?). The white cat is going to do a commercial for caviar-flavored pet treats. And Wallace is moving into a great new apartment. But these plans don’t include a group of rowdy raccoons taking over the loading dock and throwing the building into turmoil. Now residents from the whole building are coming to the Strathmore Seven for help—from Second Floor Biscuit, a Yorkie with an unfortunate haircut who faces eviction for barking at the intruders, to the loading dock rats, who are feeling intimidated and upset. And even worse, Madison gets blamed for the vandalism! It’s up to Butterbean and the rest of the pets to stop the raccoons and restore their friend’s reputation—before it’s too late.

Ocean’s Eleven meets The Secret Life of Pets in The Great Pet Heist series that follows a ragtag group of pets who will do whatever it takes to avoid being sent to the pound—the first three books now together in a collectible hardcover boxed set!The pets of the Strathmore building have a penchant for solving problems. Oscar the mynah bird is the brains of the operation. Walt the cat brings slyness and slink. Marco and Polo are the reconnaissance rats. And Butterbean’s cute and slobbery persona never rouses suspicion. The furry and feathery friends put their deductive skills and friendship to the test to pull off the heist of the century to fix Mrs. Food’s money problems, solve a ghostly mystery in Mrs. Third Floor’s apartment, and stop a group of rowdy racoons from ruining their friend’s reputation. This delightful hardcover boxed set includes: The Great Pet Heist The Great Ghost Hoax The Great Vandal Scandal

In this hilarious, high-stakes companion to The Great Pet Heist, The Great Ghost Hoax, and The Great Vandal Scandal, the pet friends take matters into their own paws—and tentacles—to rescue Walt and the white cat when they get catnapped.The white cat, famous for being a spokes-cat for Beautiful Buffet Cat Food, is making a TV appearance at a supermarket opening, with Madison playing cat wrangler to the stars! The TV people want Walt, too, and everyone is excited for her to reach celebrity status—except Walt. Unfortunately for the felines’ television debut, two cats loose in a supermarket is a recipe for disaster. Chaos erupts at the grand opening, and when the dust settles, the white cat and Walt are nowhere to be seen. They’ve been catnapped! The police are on the case, but their investigation isn’t moving fast enough to satisfy the cats’ worried friends. Desperate to get the snatched celebrities home safe and sound, Butterbean and the gang undertake a rescue mission of their own.

In this laugh-out-loud companion to The Great Pet Heist, The Great Ghost Hoax, The Great Vandal Scandal, and The Great Catnapping, the pet friends rescue a group of street puppies and try to find them new homes, with hilarious results.Butterbean is in a funk. After watching a documentary of famous dogs in history, she wants to be a real dog. Real dogs have jobs. Real dogs are heroes. But Butterbean? Butterbean is nothing but a house pet. Never mind that she and her friends have been super spies, ghost hunters, and part of an International Crime Syndicate. There’s nothing to spy on and no more ghosts to hunt. A chance to be a real dog comes when Butterbean rescues a puppy cornered by the nefarious Animal Control Man. But she may have gotten more than she bargained for when that one puppy turns out to be part of a whole pack. Now it’s up to Butterbean and the gang to find these puppies new homes before their owner, Mrs. Food, finds out that they’ve been hiding their new furry friends in the apartment!

In this laugh-out-loud companion to The Great Pet Heist, The Great Ghost Hoax, The Great Vandal Scandal, and The Great Catnapping with ';madcap, multispecies hijinks' (Kirkus Reviews), the pet friends rescue a group of street puppies and try to find them new homes, with hilarious results.Butterbean is in a funk. After watching a documentary about famous dogs in history, she wants to be a real dog. Real dogs have jobs. Real dogs are heroes. But Butterbean? Butterbean is nothing but a house pet. Never mind that she and her friends have been super spies, ghost hunters, and part of an International Crime Syndicate. There's nothing to spy on and no more ghosts to hunt. A chance to be a real dog comes when Butterbean rescues a puppy cornered by the nefarious Animal Control Man. But she may have gotten more than she bargained for when that one puppy turns out to be part of a whole pack. Now it's up to Butterbean and the gang to find these puppies new homes before their owner, Mrs. Food, finds out that they've been hiding their new furry friends in the apartment!

In this laugh-out-loud companion to The Great Pet Heist, The Great Ghost Hoax, The Great Vandal Scandal, and The Great Catnapping, the pet friends rescue a group of street puppies and try to find them new homes, with hilarious results.Butterbean is in a funk. After watching a documentary of famous dogs in history, she wants to be a real dog. Real dogs have jobs. Real dogs are heroes. But Butterbean? Butterbean is nothing but a house pet. Never mind that she and her friends have been super spies, ghost hunters, and part of an International Crime Syndicate. There’s nothing to spy on and no more ghosts to hunt. A chance to be a real dog comes when Butterbean rescues a puppy cornered by the nefarious Animal Control Man. But she may have gotten more than she bargained for when that one puppy turns out to be part of a whole pack. Now it’s up to Butterbean and the gang to find these puppies new homes before their owner, Mrs. Food, finds out that they’ve been hiding their new furry friends in the apartment!

Ocean’s Eleven meets The Secret Life of Pets in The Great Pet Heist series that follows a ragtag group of pets who will do whatever it takes to avoid being sent to the pound—the first four books now together in a collectible hardcover boxed set!The pets of the Strathmore building have a penchant for solving problems. Oscar the mynah bird is the brains of the operation. Walt the cat brings slyness and slink. Marco and Polo are the reconnaissance rats. And Butterbean’s cute and slobbery persona never rouses suspicion. The furry and feathery friends put their deductive skills and friendship to the test to pull off the heist of the century to fix Mrs. Food’s money problems, solve a ghostly mystery in Mrs. Third Floor’s apartment, stop a group of rowdy racoons from ruining their friend’s reputation, and rescue one of their own from catnappers. This delightful hardcover boxed set includes: The Great Pet Heist The Great Ghost Hoax The Great Vandal Scandal The Great Catnapping