My Mum is a Spy!

When Idris’s stepsister Lucía comes to stay, Idris isn’t happy. Yes, she brings her dog Philby, and Idris loves animals, but she can obsess over things. Last time it was sports cars, and this time it’s spies. She’s convinced Idris’s mum is a spy. Idris has never heard anything so ridiculous. Mum works at the paperclip factory! She’s useless with technology! Lucía’s dad, on the other hand, does have a cool job – he’s an exotic animal vet.

When the family go on a trip to the local zoo, Lucía is convinced that Idris’s mum is behaving strangely. Then some endangered pangolins go missing – and his mum is kidnapped! It’s time for Idris and Lucía to be spies themselves. Can they find the pangolins and his mum before it’s too late?

With illustrations that are bursting with energy, and important themes of conservation and endangered species, this is a very fun chapter book. The font is large, and nicely spaced, which makes it accessible and appealing to a wide range of readers. This is the first in the series by the two authors, one of whom has experience of covert operations and one of whom is a vet and children’s TV presenter.