A spring 2014 Best Book for Kids and Teens selection, by the Canadian Children's Book Centre 

Booklist:

A rainstorm drives Murilla Gorilla out of her home and into the Mango Market, where mops and mysteries await. A yellow parasol has gone missing from Parrot’s parasol stand. Murilla is organizationally challenged as usual, yet she manages to solve the case with smarts rather than her magnifying glass. Little details help to keep Murilla endearing rather than frustrating, such as the mismatched shoes by the side of her bed and her ever-present cheery pink cheeks. The playful silliness of the book will appeal to emerging readers. Give this one to fans of Amelia Bedelia—Murilla Gorilla has the same sort of clueless charm.

Kirkus Reviews:

Murilla the gorilla employs her detecting talents to track down a missing parasol.

Not surprisingly, it is raining in the African rain forest. It has rained right through Murilla’s roof, so she makes her way to the market, which, despite the rain, is all sunny colors, like the inside of a cupcake shop. Before Murilla can buy a new mop, Parrot requests help in tracking down a missing parasol from his shop. (In the rain forest, parasols are a hot commodity.) Dear Murilla, who, as the forest’s resident detective, has as much focusing power as Mr. Magoo, bumbles her way to the solution—elementary, but as gratifying as a ray of light breaking through the clouds, and one that allows all the citizens of the forest to remain innocent. This early reader is a pleasure but no gimme. There is plenty to challenge, starting with parasol but also magnifying glass, mandrill, okapi, chimpanzee and hammocks. This on top of Lee’s illustrations, which are not so much busy as full, especially with the mayhem of Murilla’s life. Despite that, there is a sense of equanimity; Murilla won’t, can’t, is utterly clueless about being hurried, and it is easy to imagine holding her hand and sauntering along as she uncovers what happened.

All the fun of a mystery carried on the rhythm of the tropics.

 School Library Journal:

Murilla works as a detective (possibly at the Number 1 Lady Gorilla's Detective Agency) somewhere in an African rainforest. Her story starts when she discovers that the rain has leaked through her roof. She leaves her home to buy a mop. A series of, sometimes, unrealated events eventually leads her to looking for a lost yellow parasol (each page is colourfully illustrated, so it won't take children long to learn what a parasol is if they need to). I enjoyed the unusual pictures, particularly in the design of the end papers...The first thing that struck me as I turned the first page was the feel of the book; both the pages and the cover made me want to stroke it. Good to see such high production values applied to a book for early independent readers.

- Prue Goodwin

Resource Links:

This beginning chapter book is the second title in the Murilla Gorilla Series, based on Murilla, the forgetful, untidy and often disorganized detective. Set in the Mango Market, the story is filled with a cast of characters found in the African Rainforest: Gorilla, Lizard, Mandrill, Parrot, Tree Frog, Chimpanzee, Okapi, Hippo. 

At each stage of the story, absent-minded Murilla is distracted from the task at hand. First she cannot find the mop she needs to mop up the water from the leak in her roof. When she finds it, the handle falls off! Next she's off to the market for a replacement. Once there, Murilla is distracted from the job of solving the mystery, first by the disarray in her detective backpack, then by the rumbling in her tummy. Young readers will enjoy using the many picture clues to help them decode the text, talk about the vocabulary, all the while helping the story move along. 

The mystery of the missing parasol wraps up nicely, with the story going in a full circle to end where it began.

Thematic Links: Beginning Chapter Books, Mystery

Read it, Daddy blog:

Jennifer and Jacqui have come up with a corking good character and we truly hope that Murilla is gearing up for case number three!

CM Magazine - 4/4 STARS REVIEW!

Murilla Gorilla is back in her follow-up to Murilla Gorilla: Jungle Detective. Author Jennifer Lloyd and illustrator Jacqui Lee continue telling Murilla’s mystery-solving stories with their charming combination of easy-to-read text and beautiful watercolour illustrations.

Murilla has a leaky roof and wants to clean up the puddles, but her mop (once she finds it in her messy hut!) is broken. She heads to Mango Market to buy a new one, and while she is shopping, Parrot asks her to find his missing parasol. Murilla tries some of the mystery solving tricks she used in Jungle Detective, but she still can’t find the parasol. After getting some advice from a couple of characters readers will recall meeting in the first book of this series, Murilla once again gets a great idea that solves the mystery.

The Lost Parasol builds on the characters and settings used in Jungle Detective, allowing readers to encounter some familiar faces and places. The story can also stand on its own for readers who are just discovering Murilla. The format of the book, with short chapters and sentences in a balanced page layout, is essentially identical to the first book of the series and once again provides emerging readers with an easy-to-read first chapter book experience.

Murilla Gorilla and the Lost Parasol is a fantastic follow-up to the first book in this series. Readers, as well as parents, teachers, and librarians, will surely be eagerly awaiting the next installment in Murilla’s mystery solving adventures.

PRAISE FOR THE MURILLA GORILLA SERIES:

Murilla Gorilla, Jungle Detective is a 2013 Alcuin Society Award for Excellence in Book Design second prize winner, and was selected as a 2014 Canadian Toy Testing Council 'Recommended Read', a 2013 Ontario Library Association 'Best Bets for Children', and a 2013 Canadian Children's Book Centre Best Books for Kids and Teens STAR!

Murilla Gorilla and the Lost Parasol is a spring 2014 Canadian Children's Book Centre Best Books for Kids and Teens selection!

Murilla Gorilla and the Hammock Problem is a 2014 Alcuin Awards for Excellence in Book Design first prize winner!

 “Readers will be hungry for more."

~ New York Times

“Will delight emerging readers.”

~ School Library Journal

“Charming.”

~ Publisher’s Weekly

"This early reader is a pleasure."

~ Kirkus Reviews

"The playful silliness of the book will appeal to emerging readers. Give this one to fans of Amelia Bedelia—Murilla Gorilla has the same sort of clueless charm."

~ Booklist

"Maybe this series should be called 'My First Page Turner.'"

~ Barnes & Noble Kids Blog