Zoe Sophia in New York: The Mystery of the Pink Phoenix Papers by Claudia Mauner and Elisa Smalley, illustrated by Claudia Mauner Grades 2-4 36 pages Chronicle April 2006 Hardcover     Zoe Sophia is thrilled when her great-aunt Dorothy Pomander writes that she is coming to visit Zoe in New York City and to do research for her new book about the Nile and Egypt. She is trying to find information about a scarab with a mysterious past known as the Pink Phoenix. It was stolen and rediscovered, but the writings about the scarab’s powers and mystery have vanished. Detective work is right up Zoe’s alley, so the two set out on a tour of the city in order to discover some clues. They tour the penguin house at the zoo, eat a fabulous dinner out, and go to the public library, Lincoln Center, and Greenwich Village. Will they find the information they are looking for? Zoe Sophia in New York is the second book in a smart, fun series; the first book was set in Venice. It is interesting to share a tour of New York City without leaving your home, no matter how far away you might live. The illustrations are comical and really add to the adventure. The plot is fairly complex, so even though it appears to be a picture book on the surface, children younger than school age may have difficulty following the story. Zoe is an inquisitive young girl who uses her brain to solve the puzzle set forth for her and Dorothy. Both parents and children will delight in this interesting and informative tale.       web reviews   Melissa Parcel/2006 for curled up with a good kid's book   For grown-up fiction, nonfiction and speculative fiction book reviews, visit our sister site Curled Up With a Good Book (www.curledup.com)