Review Detail

What I Liked: Teddy and his family are on vacation with JJ McCracken’s family and business team to visit a bison ranch close to Yellowstone National Park. This allows a fresh new scene for calamity with an animal twist to follow Teddy. One of the ranchers comes to Teddy about missing bison on the ranch. After an exciting nighttime adventure with a grizzly bear, it is discovered that Kandace’s expensive necklace is gone. Teddy is put on the case to solve both mysteries.
In typical Gibbs style, this book is filled with hilarious scenes sure to keep the whole family turning the pages and laughing out loud. Among the laughs and the mystery, we learn about not being a bonehead when around animals and nature. We dip into the plight of Native Americans on reservations and some recognition that the American government has played in taking advantage of them. We learn about bear baiting and the dangers of feeding wildlife, which leads to them being labeled nuisances and usually results in their deaths.
What Left Me wanting more: It was nice for the series to branch out because realistically there are just so many times that Funjungle can have a disaster on the scale that Teddy gets involved. However, in the new setting, there were many characters introduced to keep the suspect pool large and the scenes believable. I did find it hard at times to remember who was being referred to in the story as a result.
Final Verdict: This was another win on the aspects of Wildlife conservation and awareness of complex issues facing wildlife when humans interact with them. The humor and mystery were very engaging and spot on for a good time that the whole family can enjoy.