The Case of the Tagalong Twin (A Gumboot Kids Nature Mystery)

by Eric Hogan and Tara Hungerford (Gumboot Kids Media)

Firefly Books

978-0-2281-0570-1

32 pp.

Ages 3–8

September 2025

 

Scout and Daisy, characters of multiple TV series starring The Gumboot Kids, are off exploring the outdoors yet again and learning about new science concepts. In The Case of the Tagalong Twin, Scout and Daisy have a new mystery to solve and, only by working through a number of clues, will they understand what they are actually seeing.

From The Case of the Tagalong Twin by Eric Hogan and Tara Hungerford

Daisy tells Scout that on her walk over to his place she'd noticed something very odd. She'd noticed someone following in sync alongside her. Scout calls this her tagalong twin and the two retrace her steps to try to solve the mystery of this twin. Even though they don't see this twin on their walk, Scout and Daisy peruse her field notes for clues she may have noticed. Even putting together the clues of the sun, the sidewalk, and Daisy herself, they can't replicate Daisy's tagalong twin. But when the clouds part and the sun shines again, both Daisy and Scout discover they have tagalong twins that show up on the sidewalk.

From The Case of the Tagalong Twin by Eric Hogan and Tara Hungerford

At the library, they discover a science book that teaches them about shadows and how they are formed. 

From The Case of the Tagalong Twin by Eric Hogan and Tara Hungerford

For young children, the concept of shadows and how and when they are created is a complex one. They may or may not notice them—helping children use their senses to make observations is an important part of The Gumboot Kids mysteries—but when they do, they will also notice that shadows don't always appear, that they may change size and shape, and that even lamp lights can produce them. (The appended "Field Notes" will help kids discover more about shadows, as well as introduce them to new words like opaque and light source.) The Gumboot Kids creators Eric Hogan and Tara Hungerford know how to blend science concepts like shadows (or spider webs, tides and woodpeckers) into easy-to-understand terms for young children. And with adorable, felted mice in three-dimensional landscapes—incredibly detailed with tea cups, flowerpots, quilts and books—learning about shadows is easy, engaging, and informative. With Eric Hogan and Tara Hungerford's supplementary notes and a nature craft, The Case of the Tagalong Twin becomes a STEM concept book as well as an art lesson all embedded in a story.

From The Case of the Tagalong Twin by Eric Hogan and Tara Hungerford

Kindergarten and primary elementary teachers would be wise to pick up all the books in The Gumboot Kids Nature Mystery series. (I've posted a list below.) Whether as a lesson starter or a read-aloud, these books will allow teachers to engage children and get them to see their world with new eyes, and nose, and ears... And with their textured, 3D artwork, and tie-in to a popular TV series, The Gumboots Kids will make discovery-based learning the norm for STEM education.

 

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The Gumboot Kids Nature Mystery series:

The Case of the Vanishing Caterpillar (2019)

The Case of the Story Rock (2019)
The Case of the Wooden Timekeeper (2019)
The Case of the Growing Bird Feeder (2019)
The Case of the Singing Ocean (2020)
The Case of the Buzzing Honey Makers (2020)
The Case of the Shrinking Friend (2021)
The Case of the Hanging Food Catcher (2021) 

The Case of the Disappearing Castle (2024) 

The Case of the Noisy Neighbor (2024)

The Case of the Tagalong Twin (2025)

The Case of the Buried Treasure (2025) 

The Case of the Disappearing Castle (A Gumboot Kids Nature Mystery)

by Eric Hogan and Tara Hungerford 

Firefly Books

978-0-228104711

32 pp.

Ages 3-8

September 2024

 

As there were two Gumboot Kids Nature Mystery books released this month,  I won't repeat myself about the virtues of the series in teaching young children science concepts in a playful and mindful manner, as I did in yesterday's review of The Case of the Noisy Neighbor. But I would still like to share the story of The Case of the Disappearing Castle so that teachers and parents might consider the value of its scope.

From The Case of the Disappearing Castle by Eric Hogan and Tara Hungerford

This time, Daisy is building a sandcastle on the ocean's beach when Scout comes along. When they return from taking a walk, Daisy's beautiful sandcastle is gone. It's a new mystery for the nature sleuths and they take to Daisy's field notes to solve it. Daisy had, of course, made note of the sand and the ocean and even the moon that was visible during the day. With their clues and a trip to the knowledged-filled library, the two learn about tides.

From The Case of the Disappearing Castle by Eric Hogan and Tara Hungerford

Told with accuracy and simplicity, the two friends realize that the castle was swept away by the ocean tides. And with a mindful moment or two, Daisy and Scout take the time to breathe and appreciate the waves and the sounds of the ocean.

From The Case of the Disappearing Castle by Eric Hogan and Tara Hungerford

In addition to learning about tides and gravity, children will learn to make a sand clay handprint as their Nature Craft. As a support for early STEM learning, the Gumboot Kids Nature Mystery series does its job well but I am most impressed with the stories' focus on children being mindful in natural settings. Daisy and Scout always take a moment to breathe and relax as they contemplate what they've observed. With this multifaceted focus on science and self-awareness and relaxation, The Case of the Disappearing Castle reveals more than it disappears.

From The Case of the Disappearing Castle by Eric Hogan and Tara Hungerford

The Case of the Noisy Neighbor (A Gumboot Kids Nature Mystery)

by Eric Hogan and Tara Hungerford (Gumboot Kids Media)

Firefly Books
978-0-228104735
32 pp.
Ages 3-8
September 2024

 

It's spring in Dandelion Town when Scout hears a knocking at his house. But when he opens the door, there's no one there. When it repeats and still no caller, Scout is perplexed. He sees Daisy outside and when she tells him she heard something similar in the forest, the two friends know they have a new nature mystery on hand. And what do you do when you have a mystery? You investigate!

From The Case of the Noisy Neighbor by Eric Hogan and Tara Hungerford

Using Daisy's field notes to help them organize the evidence, the two friends head into the forest and look at additional clues of a tree trunk and a hole in a trunk before they spot a bird emerging and banging away. A trip to the library helps them identify the bird as a woodpecker.

From The Case of the Noisy Neighbor by Eric Hogan and Tara Hungerford

Though a simple story of figuring out who is making all the noise, The Case of the Noisy Neighbor is a far more important story about being mindful of one's surroundings by listening and seeing. Daisy and Scout are always present while they enjoy time together in nature and because of that they appreciate all the elements of the natural world to which they are exposed. While it is extraordinary that the woodpecker they see is a Pileated Woodpecker–one which many people will never see as it is far less common than Downy or Hairy Woodpeckers–it is striking in its appearance and the volume of its pecking is certainly noteworthy. The observations that Daisy makes in her field notes, which always append the Gumboots Kids' story, reveal much to feed inquiry in STEM education. And if that's not enough educational value, authors Eric Hogan and Tara Hungerford, the creators of the Gumboot Kids series, also provide a fun nature craft for very young children that extends their learning. (In The Case of the Noisy Neighbor, the craft is a tin can drum.)

From The Case of the Noisy Neighbor by Eric Hogan and Tara Hungerford

The Gumboot Kids Nature Mystery series, as well as the Gumboot Kids series, speaks to the wonders of the natural world and provide easy access to learning about everything from woodpeckers and oceans to spiders and bees. With charming felted characters set in a variety of settings, both in and outdoors, Eric Hogan and Tara Hungerford merge young children's love of stuffies–FYI stuffies of Daisy and Scout are available–and early STEM concepts. The context is delightful and the learning happens organically. Not surprising that the Gumboot Kids have been ever so popular.

 

By my count, The Case of the Noisy Neighbor is the tenth volume in the Gumboot Kids Nature Mystery series and, with a wide world of science and learning that can happen, Eric Hogan and Tara Hungerford have many more opportunities to entertain and teach with their friends Scout and Daisy.

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Gumboot Kids Nature Mystery series

The Case of the Vanishing Caterpillar (2019)
The Case of the Story Rock (2019)
The Case of the Wooden Timekeeper (2019)
The Case of the Growing Bird Feeder (2019)
The Case of the Singing Ocean (2020)
The Case of the Buzzing Honey Makers (2020)
The Case of the Shrinking Friend (2021)
The Case of the Hanging Food Catcher (2021) 

The Case of the Disappearing Castle (2024) 

The Case of the Noisy Neighbor (2024)

The Case of the Hanging Food Catcher (A Gumboot Kids Nature Mystery)

by Eric Hogan and Tara Hungerford

Firefly Books

978-0-2281-0337-0

32  pp.

Ages 3-6

November 2021

 

If your children are familiar with Scout and the Gumboot Kids, a CBC Kids' TV series, then you're already aware of the show's exploration of nature for young children. To date, creators Eric Hogan and Tara Hungerford have transferred those stories into 8 picture books, all based on investigations into the natural world. The latest, The Case of the Hanging Food Catcher, has young readers joining mice Scout and Daisy in the field as they amass clues to solve their newest mystery.

From The Case of the Hanging Food Catcher by Eric Hogan and Tara Hungerford

As Scout checks out his fall pumpkins, Daisy declares that she nearly walked into a hanging food catcher. Together they note the clues that might help them understand. The clues include the gate, silky thread, and a fly, leading them to a beautiful spider web as it catches a fly. In keeping with the education aspect of the series, Scout and Daisy do their own research on spider webs and ties it into their own appreciation of the natural world and some delicious food of their own.

From The Case of the Hanging Food Catcher by Eric Hogan and Tara Hungerford

I don't know who creates the felted mice or their woollen sweaters, hats and scarves, but that labour-intensive work has paid off in charming characters and scenes. (Not surprising that there are plush toys of Scout and Daisy available.) By wrapping very simple nature stories for young children in these characters and scenes, Eric Hogan and Tara Hungerford are speaking to children at their level without talking down to them. They take a basic scientific method approach to exploring nature, embed it in an uncomplicated plot, and enhance that learning and entertainment with some science–notes on the spider's morphology and behaviour are included–and a nature craft of weaving. The Gumboot Kids Nature Mysteries may not be intricate and highly detailed but they shouldn't be for this age level. They provide meaningful introductions to a variety of topics based in the natural world by captivating youngsters with delightful characters and inspiring creativity and an interest in that outside world. With The Case of the Hanging Food Catcher, children will probably never look at a spider or its web in the same way again, and instead be inspired to organize their own explorations of the natural world.

 

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Gumboot Kids Nature Mystery series

The Case of the Vanishing Caterpillar (2019)

The Case of the Story Rock (2019)

The Case of the Wooden Timekeeper (2019)

The Case of the Growing Bird Feeder (2019)

The Case of the Singing Ocean (2020)

The Case of the Buzzing Honey Makers (2020)

The Case of the Shrinking Friend (2021)

The Case of the Hanging Food Catcher (2021)