A Case of Four and Twenty Blackbirds by Neil Gaiman

 

Although this title is but one short story in a book of short stories, the book is still worth note-taking. M is for Magic is a collection of short stories using many characters and stories from children's books. It is a book that takes me back to calm rainy afternoons growing up when a major storm had passed. The village's electricity was down. The family was waiting for electricity to return online. Reading a book besides playing outside was preferable to turning the T.V. on to pass the time. For this book, an adult can pull some nostalgia, dare I say humor. At the same time, I recommend young adults in middle grades and up to read this book. There is a transition from childhood to adulthood taking place as we see the wholesome characters and scenes of nursery rhymes reveal a kind of innocence scratching off as we get older.

In the Case of Four and Twenty Blackbirds, a short story in the book M is for Magic, Little Jack Horner is a private investigator. He is tasked with finding the murderer of Humpty Dumpty. According to his sister, Humpty Dumpty having a great fall was no great accident.

This mystery was hard not to pass up and post on this page. Think of the best things about a great noir partnered with the whimsical trappings of your memorable if not favorite nursery rhymes. The thing about nursery rhymes is that when you're a child learning to read and simply uttering a complete word correctly feels encouraging to continue. Pair it with wholesome pictures of characters as cute talking animals, what's not to love? Compared to my previous reviews, I wanted to relax and take a break from the novel reading. But, at the same time, continue gathering up mystery titles.

Like all mysteries, not all is as it seems. With a mind for deduction, and critical thinking Little Jack Horner filters out the seedy personalities in this cool take on crime with the nursery rhymes of your childhood. The reader can reference nursery rhymes such as Sing a Song of Sixpence, Little Jack Horner, Little Bo Peep, The Queen of Hearts, Who Killed Cock Robin, and of course, Humpty Dumpty. I doubt the nursery rhymes tell much as to what happens in the story. But, it certainly was a nice guide to contextual understanding. Look at me getting all academic, just read the book and you'll see what I mean.

Neil Gaiman is the author of many children's books, fiction novels, graphic novels, T.V. shows, and short stories. He's also a champion for literacy and fair treatment of writers as a member of the WGA. Click on BIO to learn more about Neil Gaiman.