Italian / Italy
Tre casi per l’investigatore Wickson Alieni
(Three cases for Detective Wickson Alieni)
Doninelli, Luca
(text)
Donaldson, Nicole
(illus.)
[Milano] 978-88-452-9353-5: Bompiani, 2018. – 158 p.
ISBN 978-88-452-9353-5
London | Detective | Invisibility | Crime fiction
Reading age: 7+
White Ravens issue: 2019
Luca Doninelli was awarded the Premio Strega Ragazze e Ragazzi 2019 in the Ages 6-10 division for this book. It tells the story of Wickson Alieni, a truly special detective in every sense – he is in fact invisible to everyone, except to a mouse and a Chinese man. Invisibility, a sought-after skill in the world of detective work, enables practically limitless space for action. Wickson Alieni’s ability proves itself to be extremely helpful to Inspector Frank Fellikke, since the Inspector relies on the detective to solve cases that he himself then takes credit for. The Inspector thus has a lot of free time, which he likes to spend fussing over the single hair on his head. The single hair is called Filippo and can speak. Readers follow along on three adventure-filled cases that take place in London, a city beset with terrible crimes. Cloud-capturing machines, a thickening fog, and five o’clock teas collide as the real, the surreal, and the fantastical intermingle. The suspenseful and comic story will baffle readers at more than one turn.