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Alright, everyone, be on alert! Cats are acting very odd, and items have been reported as stolen. The two could be related, but how? Grab your pencils, pens, crayons, colored pencils, markers, or whatever drawing instrument that you can get your hands on (I highly recommend a pencil); we’re going to help Carl the Duck crack the case!

“The Rise of the Rusty Robo-Cat” is the third installment in the “Doodle Adventures” series. Written and illustrated by Mike Lowery, young readers will go on an interactive reading adventure to foil a dastardly kitty’s plot to conquer the world. How can readers help Carl?

Laid out like a graphic novel (think “comic book,” only longer), the pages are filled with large images and easy-to-read text. The fun, hand-drawn illustrations blend in perfectly with children’s own drawings. Yes, that’s right; this book is meant to be drawn in. That’s how readers will help Carl, and in the end they will have a unique story that they helped to tell and illustrate.

Although I am not the intended age group, I kept the book on my work desk (I still do!). Every once in a while, I take a break from work and do a doodle or two to continue the story. I even found an opportunity to add some literal “potty” humor. It’s good, silly fun.

My 8-year-old Nephew found the book and started drawing in it right away. Together, we’re completing the story, and we’re having fun discovering each other’s drawings. Flipping through the book just now, I am surprised by how far we have gotten through the book. Maybe we’ll have to start on one of the other two books in the series.

I love books like these that engage the reader on many levels. The “Doodle Adventures” series inspires the artistic muse, incorporates creative thinking & problem solving, and makes reading enjoyable and engaging. Plus, what kid wouldn’t want to draw in a book? Even if you’re supposed to, it still feels a little naughty to scribble in a book.

• Title: “Doodle Adventures: The Rise of the Rusty Robo-Cat”
• Author: Mike Lowery
• Publisher: Workman Publishing
• Ages: 8 & Up

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from Workman Publishing, and I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. Some of the links in this post are affiliate links—as an Amazon associate, I earn from qualifying products.