Customer Reviews
Welcome to Dragnet, Junior! 
2008-01-07
Nate The Great lives up to his moniker as the neighborhood detective who works alone in this hilarious and page-turning novel for young readers.
The simplicity of the writing will add to the enjoyment for kids and parents, as well, who will be sure to be reminded of hard-boiled detectives in those old black-and-white movies we've all seen on TV.
You'll love sharing this book (and a big stack of pancakes) with your kids!
Nate the Great is, well....great! 2007-03-18
Nate is one of the best kid detectives I have ever met. The books are instant classics and I was inspired and interested in reading the whole series since third grade. I will buy the whole collection no matter what, just to have this smart gumshoe in my book case for my own pleasure to read again and again.
Nate the Great is Great! 2007-01-05
This book is a great detective book. Nate helps his friend find a lost picture.
Wonderfully Funny! 2006-09-26
I never did read any Nate the Great growing up...and what a shame. It's amazing that Sharmat can do so very much in terms of story and humor with so few words. It's great for beginner readers and uproariously funny as a read aloud story (especially if you can do the P.I. voice-over effect). This initial installment (I believe there are over 20 in this series) finds Nate the Great on hire for his friend Annie who has lost a favorite picture of her dog Fang. Nate is confidant that he can find the missing painting and sets out to systematically follow all the leads he's been given. He questions suspects and eventually tracks down the culprit, while enjoying meal after meal and snack after snack of, what else, but pancakes (his favorite food, of course).
This book is funny, charming and most of all...my kids just LOVED it! I have a 6 year old and an 8 year old, sometimes story time is tough and we're having more and more trouble finding books that appeal to both a 6 year old by and an 8 year old girl! We'll be reading more Nate the Great, because they both found it hilarious and best of all, Girl easily read it to Boy several times after having it read to them as a bedtime story! Absolutely Hilarious, I give it an A+
Nate the Great is, well, GREAT! 2005-03-30
With charming illustrations and a clever case-cracking hero, early readers will love to read this book as well as the others in the Nate the Great series. Nate has a kid's dream "job" of being the neighborhood detective, and he is surrounded by quirky companions whose cases he solves. These witty stories with a vintage originality will have kids reaching for the next one . . . and the next. . .
What a delightful surprise! 2004-12-14
Shortly after a breakfast generously supplied with pancakes, Natethe Great got an urgent call from Annie.
"I lost a picture," said Annie. "Can you help me find it?"
"Of course," said Nate. "I have found lost balloons, books, slippers, chickens. Even a lost goldfish. Now I, Nate the Great, will find a lost picture."
"Oh, good," Annie said.
Nate, with the cool detachment of a Sam Spade, immediately plunges into his new and baffling case. Getting all the facts, asking the right questions, narrowing down the suspects. Nate, the boy detective who "likes to work alone," solves the mystery and tracks down the culprit. In the process he also discovers the whereabouts of Super Hex, the missing cat.
Nate the Great 2003-06-28
Would you want to be a detective? Well i do. Nate the Great works like a detective. He likes to eat pancakes. He works alone. And he has so many friens.
I like Nate the Great books because Nate the Great tells
some jokes and he does some funny things.
I recommend Nate the Great books to anyone who likes Nate the Great books because Nate the Great is so funny and he tells some jokes to anyone.
Nate the Great Detective Debut 2002-09-27
NATE THE GREAT is the first book in a wonderful series that introduces young readers to the world of mysteries, clues, and pancakes that is Nate the Great. Shortly after a big breakfast of pancakes, Nate is contacted by his friend Annie. She has a mystery for him. The picture, painted in yellow, she did of her dog Fang is missing. She wants Nate to find the picture for her. Nate leaves a note for his mother and is in hot pursuit of the clues that will let him know where the missing picture is. During the course of his investigation, Nate meets Rosamond and her four cats-Super Hex, Big Hex, Little Hex, and Plain Hex, and Annie's little brother Harry. One of them holds the secret of where the missing picture is.
Marjorie Weinman Sharmat is the author of over twenty Nate the Great adventures, including NATE THE GREAT STALKS STUPIDWEED, NATE THE GREAT AND THE BORING BEACH BAG, NATE THE GREAT AND THE HALLOWEEN HUNT, and NATE THE GREAT AND THE MUSHY VALENTINE. She has written dozens of books for young readers. She named Nate the Great after her father. Her books have been named as Children's Choice books and Junior Literary Guild selections, and been picked as Books of the Year by the Library of Congress. Nate the Great was named after the author's father.
As in every Nate the Great book she writes, Marjorie Sharmat plays fairly with young readers (ages 4-8) regarding the mystery and the clues. Her prose is tight, clean, and concise. Reading aloud to younger readers is an absolute hoot, and if the reader can manage the tough-guy private eye voice of a Mickey Spillane novel, the effect on young readers is even more mesmerizing. The illustrations by Marc Simont-the long-time artist of the Nate the Great series-complements the story very well, lending humor, clues, and vibrant color for young eyes. NATE THE GREAT is the perfect place to join the series because this book sets up all of Nate's world, from the frantic call by friends that have lost something, to the note Nate always leaves his mom on the refrigerator explaining his whereabouts, to the regulars that make up Nate's world.
The entire Nate the Great series is recommended to younger readers and parents who love reading to their children that might have tired of (or memorized!) all of the rhyming Dr. Seuss books. This series makes a great transition to leap from to Nancy Drew or the Hardy Boys later.
Hilarious! 2002-03-27
This is a very cute and quirky detective story for the advanced first to third grade reader. I believe even older readers (including adults) will thoroughly enjoy this book as well.
Nate the Great is a boy detective who is on a VERY big case. He has to help his friend Annie find a lost picture. We follow Nate as he unveils clue after hilarious clue until he reaches a rather unusual conclusion. One of the funniest stories I have read. We'll be ordering the entire series.
Enjoy!
Fun Picture Book All Will Enjoy 2002-02-12
Meet Nate the Great, the neighborhood detective. He's just finishing up breakfast (pancakes, of course) when Annie calls. She's lost the picture of her dog Fang that she just painted and wants help finding it. So Nate goes over and helps her hunt down the leads. But can he solve the mystery?
I remember this book well from my childhood, and it's still good for a few grins today. Nate has some great one-liners, especially when read with a Joe Friday monotone. The plot is very creative if a bit obvious at the end to adults. The pictures only add to the pleasure.
This is the strongest book from the series. Children will ask for it over and over; I know I did. Parents will enjoy the humor and characters as well. Buy it today for read aloud pleasure.
