A mystery and a lesson in art, this is a fabulous interactive book which requires the unravelling of all kinds of puzzles to find out what is going on. Three unsuspecting people receive anonymous letter while at the same time an incredibly valuable picture by Vermeer is being held to ransom. Petra and Calder, two children with remarkable skill at breaking codes, get drawn in to try and unravel exactly what is happening. Following clues can easily become addictive.
Petra and Calder live in a neighbourhood where strange things have started to happen. Seemingly unrelated events connect, a sharp old woman seeks their company – and a priceless Vermeer painting disappears.
Before they know it, the two children are caught up in an international art sensation where no one is above suspicion. As puzzling clues draw Petra and Calder deeper into the mystery, they must rely on their intelligence, their powers of deduction, and a newly acquired knowledge of the artist Vermeer, to crack an art crime that has left everyone baffled.
From my years of being a mom and a teacher, I’ve discovered that kids really do learn best when they are tackling ‘real-world’ problems, issues that don’t necessarily have an easy answer and that also concern adults. That idea is at the heart of this book.
