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The Great Cake Mystery: Precious Ramotswe's Very First Case Audiobook
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(3.04) - 590 listener ratings
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Publisher Description
Have you ever said to yourself, Wouldn’t it be nice to be a detective?
This is the story of an African girl who says just that. Her name is Precious.
When a piece of cake goes missing from her classroom, a traditionally built young boy is tagged as the culprit. Precious, however, is not convinced. She sets out to find the real thief. Along the way she learns that your first guess isn’t always right. She also learns how to be a detective.
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"This book is written in Scots (though not my native Doric so I was unfamiliar with some of the words- it does have a vocabulary list at the back of the book). It is a quaint, little book which I took into school and read to my class. They had great fun trying to translate the words into English. This is a story about Precious Ramotswe when she was a little girl so you do not have to read any of the Number One Ladies Detective Agency Books to follow the story. Scots is much more expressive than English (in my opinion) and this makes reading this book exremely funny. A delightful, little book."
— Kathleen (4 out of 5 stars)
Quotes
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Kids will love this kind and clever new detective. They’ll love the mystery, and they might even love the thieves. I look forward to more!
— Patricia Reilly Giff, award-winning author of Wild Girl and other books -
Good for kids who like mysteries and stories about other cultures and friendship all packed into one.
— TIME for Kids magazine -
Stunning artwork. . . . A compelling plot and interesting secondary characters, especially classmates who are quick to make unfounded accusations and their teacher, who provides wisdom just when it is needed, will leave readers wanting more. One case where an adaptation from an adult book is as much fun to read as the original.
— Kirkus Reviews, starred review -
This mini mystery and its jaw-dropping illustrations will please proto-detectives, both large and small. . . . What [McCall Smith]’s done with The Great Cake Mystery is unique. . . . His fans will pluck it up like so many of his other books. . . . A really fun read.
— School Library Journal -
Bold and striking, McIntosh’s chunky, two-color woodcutlike pictures present evocative images of the African setting. This is a story, and a heroine, with impressive dimension.
— Publishers Weekly, starred review -
“A detective is born! What a delightful, breezy read!
— Mary Pope Osborne, bestselling author of The Magic Tree House series -
Told with an innocence that will captivate young readers, The Great Cake Mystery is a kind-hearted, feel-good story for all. Loved it!
— Graham Salisbury, author of Under the Blood-Red Sun and the Calvin Coconut series
Awards
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Winner of the 2013 Audie Award for Children's Titles for Ages Up to 8
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A New York Times bestseller
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The Great Cake Mystery: Precious Ramotswe's Very First Case Listener Reviews
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" Not many chapter book series are set in Africa, so that factor alone sets this book apart from its peers. A little mystery, a little intrigue, throw in some good lessons and some global awareness makes for a good series for 2-3rd grade readers. With the strong female lead character, it will probably be more popular with girls than boys. "
— Julie, 2/19/2014 -
" There is a bit of retconning going on in this book. I'll overlook it since it was a cute story. "
— Blushand, 2/7/2014 -
" Goes right to the heart. I can't wait to tea this with a kid! Even has an Edna Lewis sponge cake recipe. Perfect! "
— Sarah, 2/7/2014 -
" A children's version of "The No.1 Ladies Detective Agency". I love the adult series and thought this was just as charming. "
— Debbie, 2/6/2014 -
" A charming, very small tale, an incident from the childhood of the girl who grew up to run the The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency. Iain McIntosh's illustrations, which look like linocuts in black and red, are just the right addition. "
— GraceAnne, 1/26/2014 -
" Liked it, as I expected -- I'm a big fan of Alexander McCall Smith. The copy I had was written in "Scots", so I had to read the first bit out loud to myself until I got the hang of the language. Sadly I didn't discover the glossary at the back until I finished the book, oops! "
— Kirsten, 1/20/2014 -
" I like the No. 1 Ladies Detective Agency stories and this is a wonderful children's version. A mystery set in Botswana featuring a young girl...a great way to get kids started as mystery readers. "
— Donna, 1/12/2014 -
" Very short "
— Layne, 12/26/2013 -
" McCall Smith stories are always charming but this one, especially so, as it's about our favorite lady detective, Precious Ramotswe, investigating her first case! Add to that, its engaging translation into the Scots (Doric) language (with accompanying glossary) and it's a real winner all around. "
— svm, 11/28/2013 -
" A cute little story that presents Precious Ramotswe as a child & showing her interest in solving mysteries. It's a kid's book for sure, but still well-written and a fun intro to the series. "
— Tracey, 11/18/2013 -
" Cute story... perfect for those just starting chapter books. "
— Michele, 11/16/2013 -
" This would be a good read-aloud. If you like the 1st Ladies Detective Agency series, you will enjoy meeting Precious as a child. "
— Nancy, 11/14/2013 -
" If you like the grown-up mysteries like I do, have your kid read this one (and read over her shoulder). It's very cute and my daughter loved it! "
— Dawn, 10/11/2013 -
" I like mysteries. "
— Lucy, 8/11/2013 -
" A sweet little book that is perfect for that second or third grader looking for a mystery or a book about another culture. Alexander McCall Smith can write a kids' book - who knew! "
— Nadine, 8/9/2013 -
" MCL. I thought I knew who was taking the cakes and I was right. "
— Nora, 7/11/2013 -
" The illustrations are great. "
— Karyn, 5/26/2013 -
" This is a story of the #1 Ladies Detective Agency main character as a little girl. Cute story. Not amazing- but really fun, super quick read. It made me hanker to read another #1 ladies detective book. I've only read the first so far. "
— Bekah, 5/3/2013 -
" A sweet story for kids. Good presentation of the value of kindness. "
— Kristen-Marie, 3/25/2013 -
" A sweet morality tale about not reading events at face value. "
— Kim, 12/28/2012 -
" A delightful children's book in which Precious Ramotswe solves her first mystery. Has Very nice guide at the end for use in the classroom. A fun read. "
— Diana, 12/17/2012 -
" I loved Precious, and the language and setting, and I loved the way Precious caught her cake-nabbers red handed, but there wasn't much of a mystery here. It remains a good tale of friendship, however. "
— Shazzer, 11/7/2012 -
" A very cute story. Perfect for the entire library. "
— Jane, 10/17/2012 -
" Darling read for young readers. The African illustrations were stunning and the story charmed me from the beginning. "
— Rachel, 8/23/2012 -
" Precious Ramotswe as a little girl figuring out that she wants to be a detective some day? You can't go wrong. Precious has to help clear the name of a boy who is falsely accused of stealing sweets. This is as sweet and gentle as the grown up mysteries and I can't wait to see it in our library! "
— Bridget, 8/19/2012 -
" I couldn't find this book for the longest time because I saw it listed as Precious and the Monkeys. The name change was a good move. "
— Julie, 6/15/2012
About Alexander McCall Smith
Alexander McCall Smith is the New York Times bestselling author of numerous novels, including the No.1 Ladies’ Detective Agency series, the Isabel Dalhousie series, 44 Scotland Street novels, Corduroy Mansions series, the Perfect Passion Company novels, and more. He has also written stand-alone novels, books for children, and nonfiction works. In 2004 he was named the British Book Awards Author of the Year and Booksellers Association Author of the Year. He is professor emeritus of medical law at the University of Edinburgh in Scotland and has served with many national and international organizations concerned with bioethics. He was born in what is now known as Zimbabwe and taught law at the University of Botswana.
About Adjoa Andoh
Adjoa Andoh is an Audie Award and Earphones Award–winning narrator and an actress of British film, television, stage, and radio. In 2022, she was awarded the AudioFile Golden Voice Award. She is known on the UK stage for lead roles at the RSC, the National Theatre, the Royal Court Theatre, and the Almeida Theatre, and she is a familiar face on British television. She made her Hollywood debut starring as Nelson Mandela’s chief of staff, Brenda Mazikubo, alongside Morgan Freeman as Mandela in Clint Eastwood’s Invictus.