Chasing Vermeer

A painting by Johannes Vermeer, A Lady Writing, disappears while being transported to Chicago, and the thief sends letters to newspapers announcing that he will return it only if people look at art more honestly. Petra and Calder notice that odd coincidences keep connecting them to the case: a strange old book about unexplained events, a letter from Calder's friend Tommy written in code and pentomino shapes that keep turning up in unlikely places.

The book asks young readers to think about patterns, chance and the ways art can be questioned and debated, ideas that are rarely presented this seriously in children's mysteries. The friendship between the two heroes develops naturally, and Hyde Park with its university buildings and old bookshop makes a lovely setting. Brett Helquist's illustrations hide their own puzzle, which readers can solve alongside the story.

The plot depends heavily on coincidence by design, and some readers find the pace slow. But for thoughtful children it can be a doorway into art. Parents and teachers will find plenty to discuss afterward, from art history to probability, and later books continue the friendship. About 304 pages in the Scholastic paperback.