The adventures of an orphan stubborn, awkward and talkative

Wilma lives on Cooper imaginary island, a wall separates into two zones: the Upper and Lower. Aged ten, it is a tiny and extremely talkative orphan who has made up his mind to walk in the footsteps of the great detective Theodore P. Lebon. And as his determination matched only his awkwardness, she shoves often in trouble.

One day, the Institution for Small Unlucky where Wilma has lived since she was abandoned sends work as a maid at Mrs. RONCHARD an old tyrannical and scary lady. At the same time, the biggest diamond in the world disappears, and the man who discovered it is found murdered with the frozen heart. Wilma holds a golden opportunity to prove to Theodore P. Lebon it is worthy of becoming his apprentice!

From the first page, the tone of this young adult novel is set with image shows our heroine suspended by his pant bottom hook a ham, a PQ roll against the eye as a telescope. Wilma Tenderfoot is a mini-Miss Catastrophe, full of good will but essentially succeeded in messing around. Difficult, however, not to focus on this orphan stubborn and talkative devised by the British Emma Kennedy. The story is well tucked up, with Manichaean characters and other more subtle or surprising. Casterman proposes a French publishing quality, with excellent translation Corinne Daniellot and fun designs of Nancy Pena (including a funny monogram beginning of each chapter and, in the lower right corner of odd pages, a dog that can be run so flip book).

Of the four volumes that must be included in the series, two have already been published in French. I think they would make a great Christmas gift for a girl of 8 to 10 years loving and reading detective stories.