Looking for something fun (and educational) to do with your kids?  Try reading this delightful story by Graeme Base. 

“When Horace the Elephant decides to throw himself a party for his 11th birthday, he never suspects a crime will be committed by lunchtime. Who has stolen the birthday feast? As with any good mystery, everyone is guilty until proven innocent. The proof lies in the myriad clues embedded in each glorious illustration. Young sleuths will delight in decoding the complex messages that pop up in unexpected places.”

–summary from Amazon

I remember solving the mystery in Junior High English many, many moons ago.  Our teacher divided us into teams and promised a reward to first group with the correct solution.  My team won the contest after several class periods of decoding.  Years later, I spied the book on sale and bought it hoping to repeat the experience with my children…someday.  Well, Sister found the book a couple of weeks ago and we’ve been slowing sleuthing together.  An older (reading) child could solve the mystery alone but then you’d miss out on all the fun. 

Check out these other titles from Graeme Base too.  Any ot them would be a worthy addition to your children’s library.