Sunny's Adventures
Leketha Marie Johnson
ISBN: 9780980245608
Jabberwocky Books
Reviewed By Rhonda Carver
Official Apex Reviews Rating: 
Sunny's Adventures
chronicles the crime-solving exploits of Sunny, an intrepid young
sleuth with a knack for cracking tough cases. No matter the item,
animal, or personal effect that has gone missing, the gregarious
detective remains on the ready to take up the challenge of locating it,
ultimately saving the day.
In the five short stories that
comprise the book, Sunny embarks upon on a series of different quests
throughout her neighborhood and school environments, each time on the
hunt for something of value that has inexplicably disappeared. In order
to solve the mysteries, she relies on her keen power of deduction in
analyzing & interpreting the various clues available that lead to
the ultimate answers. With a quick thought process and sharp reasoning,
Sunny is the trusted name that any neighbor would call when they need
an emergent mystery solved.
Kudos to Leketha Johnson for
penning such an engaging, entertaining collection of stories that
readers of all ages are sure to enjoy. Each storyline is a
well-crafted, enjoyable journey through the world of a precocious child
on a mission to make things right. Sunny's affable, eager-to-please
personality is a treat to follow, and the selflessness she displays in
remaining committed to equal justice is a welcome delight.
Also
notable are the detailed drawings accompanying the text, highlighting
each of Sunny's sleuthing adventures. Illustrator Shawn McCann is to be
commended for his efforts, which contribute greatly to bringing Sunny
and the splendor of her surrounding world to life.
The first installment of what promises to be an exciting new series, Sunny's Adventures is a welcome addition to the world of children's literature. Highly recommended.
Official Apex Reviews Interview: Leketha Johnson (Sunny's Adventures)
Apex Reviews: Thanks for joining us for this interview, Leketha. We're looking forward to learning more about your book.
Is Sunny based on a real little girl?
Leketha Johnson: She's actually a mixture of both make-believe (fiction) and of my own seven year-old little girl. It's hard not to base some of or a little of her character on my daughter because she was such an instrumental force in helping me to create the voice of Sunny. She will say something funny or interesting, and I'm already taking out a paper and pen to write it down and incorporate it as a part of Sunny's personality. Of course Sunny, has her own unique voice as well, which really makes her stand out.
AR: Sunny's sleuthing abilities are head and shoulders above what you'd expect from someone so young. Has she had much experience in solving mysteries, or does she just have a natural knack for it?
LJ: Sunny just has a natural knack for solving mysteries. She has a generous and curious nature, which fills her with the need to solve problems and help others out in the process. She's a natural born, likeable leader with lots of friends that are drawn to her for this very reason. All kids are naturally curious, just like Sunny, so they will be able to truly appreciate how she responds to the dilemmas that come up again and again.
AR: Our reviewer noted that readers of all ages can appreciate the stories in the book. Is that the kind of appeal you were trying to achieve when you crafted them, or did you have a particular target audience in mind?
LJ: When creating Sunny's Adventures, I definitely wanted all children to be drawn to these fun detective stories. It's an interactive read that parents can read to younger children or that older children can read for themselves. It appeals to kids of all ages because the mysteries are simple but effective in getting children to use their minds to help them figure out all the clues.
AR: Our reviewer also commented on the great illustrations featured throughout the book, which do a great job of bringing the stories to life. Can you tell us more about how you came to include them?
LJ: Well, Sunny's Adventures is a chapter book for early readers, so it was definitely important for me to include illustrations that children could enjoy as they read the various stories. I'm a writer, but a terrible artist, so it was wonderful when the illustrator Shawn McCann came up with the exact image of Sunny that I had envisioned in my mind. She's cute, spunky, and smart – and I wanted all of that to be captured for young readers when they read about and relate to her on the book pages. She's African American with a multicultural group of friends – that was important to me as well. I wanted to capture a little bit of every child in the stories, which highlight such issues about friendship, jealousy, sadness, etc.
AR: The "recap" sections that you feature at the end of each chapter are great ways to get young readers to develop their own powers of deduction. What inspired you to include them in the book?
LJ: I really wanted children to be able to connect to the story and characters in an interactive sort of way. I wanted them to have a vested interest in the outcome of each mystery. It's fun seeing children try to figure out the clues for themselves and then highlighting for them at the end of each story what those clues actually were. It helps to promote reading in a fun, adventurous way. And, it shows kids how using their minds truly does help them to solve all sorts of problems. It also makes for good discussion for parents and teachers alike with little ones. Instead of sitting on the sidelines just reading a book, I wanted kids to feel like they were actually a part of the stories themselves.
AR: Please share more with our readers about your publisher, Jabberwocky Books.
LJ: Jabberwocky Books is a children's imprint dedicated to producing quality children's literature. I love the fact that we acted as a team in the creative process in order to make Sunny's Adventures a true success amongst kids everywhere.
AR: We noticed that you're currently developing a series of children's books. Can you share more with us about that?
LJ: Yes, I have already completed Sunny's Adventures 2 – The Birthday Party Mystery, to be released in 2009. It involves more mystery drama along with Sunny and her friends with a real lesson incorporated about the effects of teasing. I always love including a hidden message in each story that children can learn from and use in their own lives. I am currently working on Sunny's Adventures 3, and other children's stories as well.
AR: Where can people learn more about your writings and other efforts?
LJ: Readers can log onto www.leketha.blogspot.com to get all updated information regarding my work and other relevant insight regarding all children's literature. It's updated frequently for this purpose.
AR: Also, how can our readers contact you directly?
LJ: Everyone can log onto www.sunnysadventures.com and click on the contact section and send me any correspondence that they would like – I would love to hear from everybody, and I respond to all feedback. This website was also designed for parents, children, and teachers, and we've been getting some awesome feedback about it. There's a free newsletter offered, a coloring contest with great prizes for kids, free bookmarks, and some great articles about various subjects related to children.
AR: Any final thoughts you'd like to share?
LJ: Yes, just that reading is so important for our young children, and it starts at home. If parents implement the joys of reading at a very early age for their kids, it will become a natural habit, and illiteracy will be a problem of the past. Even in the midst of video games and computer games, reading an actual book is the key for children to become naturally articulate, smart, and analytical by nature. So let's continue to read on!
AR: Thanks again, Leketha, and best of continued success to you in all your endeavors!
LJ: Thank you so much for having me! It's been a pleasure speaking with you.