Book review: A Mighty Muskrats Mystery: The Case Of The Pilfered Pin

Reviewed by Caroline MacKenzie

A Mighty Muskrats Mystery: The Case Of The Pilfered Pin by Michael Hutchinson is the exciting fifth instalment in the Mighty Muskrats series. The Mighty Muskrats are four young Indigenous cousins whose home community is Windy Lake First Nation. This is where they have a well-deserved reputation for solving any mystery that comes their way. It is an entertaining and educational story geared towards reader aged 9-12.

The Mighty Muskrats—Chickadee, Atim, Otter, and Sam—are an engaging and relatable group of youths. Readers can identify with them because they talk and act like them. Indigenous youth in particular can see themselves and their culture represented in a positive way, giving them sense of pride in their culture and who they are. Even the way the adults are depicted is familiar. This keeps the reader engaged and interested in the story; therefore, their eyes are opened to the issues brought up in the story.

The tone of this book is both humorous and serious. There is joking around between the characters; then there are more serious conversations dealing with topics such as racism, land leases, and being ashamed of who you are and your culture. These issue and their long-term effects are such that non-Indigenous people might not be fully aware of them.

This book talks about Indigenous and Métis people letting go of their shame and reclaiming their identity. They are learning to be proud of their heritage and culture.  The effect of this is to educate non-Indigenous readers about these issues and to motivate Indigenous readers to reclaim their identity, as well as the importance of their identity.

Another thing this book does is illustrate Indigenous culture. This is done through subtle means, not just by talking about their traditional way of life. Some of these cultural customs include the Muskrats thinking of the adults as “Elders,” calling their female Elders “Auntie.”  The Indigenous characters are described as “lip pointing” or “chin pointing” gestures more common in Indigenous culture than in other cultures where it is more prevalent to point with the finger.

A sense of community is something else that this book highlights. This is spotlighted by the relationships that the Muskrats have not only with each other but with others on their First Nation. This is a very close-knit community with everyone knowing everyone else. The residence of Windy Lake First Nation respect each other and their community. This is seen in the how everyone interacts with each other and how the cousins talk to their Elders and listen when they speak knowing that by doing so, they will learn something. Also, the love and the close bond between the Muskrats and their family is evident and heartwarming.

The language used by Hutchinson is commonly used by those in the target audience. This increases the reader’s understanding of issues that are being presented as well as keeping them engaged and learning.

The pace of this mystery is such that the reader does not feel overwhelmed by how fast the plot is moving, which means that the reader can absorb the cultural and historical information.

This is an entertaining and educational story. It highlights issues faced by Indigenous peoples and gives glimpses into their culture and life on a reserve. This book would be an asset to any library.

Michael Hutchinson, A Mighty Muskrats Mystery: The Case Of The Pilfered Pin. Second Story Press: Toronto, 2024.