About
While visiting Dink's uncle in New York City, Dink, Josh, and Ruth Rose help uncover who is responsible for stealing a very valuable painting.
Read one section at a time, then discuss the questions to review understanding. These questions are a starting place for conversation, not a complete test of the chapter.
Chapter 1
Comprehension questions
Describe the setting of this story.
Page 1 — The kids have traveled from Connecticut to New York City; tall skyscrapers; an apartment building
1
Chapter 2
Comprehension questions
Have you ever been to a block party like the one in this book?
Listen to your child’s answer
Compare this party to a party you’ve been to.
Page 10 — Listen to your child’s answer
10
What will be the mystery in this story?
Page 16 — Find out who stole the painting
16
Chapter 3
Comprehension questions
Describe the crime scene?
Page 19 — The painting was missing from the table, the fruit bowl was overturned, and there were orange peels and orange juice spilled all over the table, the floor and the balcony outside
19
Chapter 4
Comprehension questions
What did the kids find when they checked outside the apartment building?
Page 27 — The balconies were too high for someone to reach; Miss Booker was a trapeze artist when she was younger
27
Chapter 5
Comprehension questions
Summarize this chapter.
Page 31 — Uncle Warren went to bed; the kids couldn’t sleep so they brainstormed who the thief could be
31
Chapter 6
Comprehension questions
What did Mrs. Cornelius turn out to be and what information did she share with the kids?
Page 44 — A witness; she saw someone on her balcony the night of the robbery; they had a baggy coat, bad posture, a wrinkled face and orange hair
44
Chapter 7
Comprehension questions
Have you ever had the chance to look through a microscope or magnifying glass? What did you see?
Listen to your child’s answer
What was the photo that Ruth Rose found outside the apartment building?
Page 53 — The stolen painting
53
Chapter 8
Comprehension questions
Is it farfetched to think an orangutan stole the painting? Why, or why not?
Page 57 — Listen to your child’s answer
57
If an orangutan did steal the painting, what do the kids need to solve now?
Page 58 — Who the orangutan belongs to
58
Chapter 9
Comprehension questions
Predict what Ruth Rose’s idea is to obtain the orangutan’s hair.
Page 64 — Listen to your child’s answer
64
Chapter 10
Comprehension questions
Oh no! How is Josh ruining the plan?
Page 71 — He’s talking and he also hit a button that opens the large garage door
71
Chapter 11
Comprehension questions
Describe Mrs. Folwer.
Page 75 — She helped steal the painting; she has a conscience because she confessed everything; she thinks for herself
75
What did you like about this story?
Listen to your child’s answer
Downloads
All the book’s resources, or just the ones you need, ready to read or print.
Worksheets
Practice sheets with space to write your answers.
Download one reading section
A small printout with all the resources for the selected section.
