The Panda Puzzle

by Ron Roy

Grades 2-5; Genre - Mystery; GRL N; AR pts: 1.0

There's pandemonium in Green Lawn! The town is building a new park for a panda and her baby. But as soon as the pandas arrive, the baby is stolen! All the panda-nappers want in return is a million dollars...Can Dink, Josh, and Ruth Rose collar the culprits before Green Lawn has to cough up the cash?

Comprehension Questions

Chapter 1

1. What did the kids come to the petting
   zoo to see? A mama panda and her baby p.1
2. What strange behavior did Ping show
   while the crowd was outside her cage? She ran into the fence p.6
3. What’s missing from the panda cave? The
   baby panda, Winnie p.8

Chapter 2

1. What did the kidnappers want in
   exchange for Winnie? A million dollars p.11
2. What did Pal find the in the bamboo
   forest? a fishing knife p.13
3. Why would the kidnapper have a knife?
   To cut down bamboo stalks to feed Winnie p.14

Chapter 3

1. Why do the kids watch Ruth Rose’s
   video at the petting zoo? It might give them ideas who stole the panda p.19
2. Who does Ruth Rose think suspects are?
   Irene Napper, Flip Frances, or Tom Steele; the people standing by the
   microphone p.21

Chapter 4

1. Why did the three kids want to
   interview each of the three people that stood by the microphone? To try and
   get some answers p.23
2. What was Irene doing when the kids found
   her in the park? Feeding the ducks p.24
3. Who has a key to Ping’s gate? Only
   Irene p.28

Chapter 5

1. Why does Josh think Irene kidnapped Winnie?
   She has large hands p.31
2. Why does Josh think Tom Steele did
   it? He has a cut on his hand that could have been from Winnie and has a
   fishing pole p.37 & 38
3. What was another clue Ruth Rose saw
   on Tom’s desk? There were newspapers all cut up; the ransom note was put
   together from newspaper clippings p.38

Chapter 6

1. Where did the kids find Flip? At the
   fitness center p.40
2. What made Josh think the kidnapper
   was Flip? He was great at doing flips; he would have easily been able to get
   over the fence of the panda enclosure p.45
3. What’s another clue Flip could have kidnapped
   Winnie? He fishes p.46

Chapter 7

1. What piece was missing when the twins
   were completing a puzzle together? The baby grizzly bear’s face p.50
2. What did Ruth Rose realize they should
   be looking for? Winnie, not the person who took her p.51
3. Why did the kids think the fitness
   center would be a good hiding place for Winnie? It’s smelly and loud p.53

Chapter 8

1. What did the kids find when they
   slipped into the unmarked door? A wooden staircase p.60
2. What explained the sounds of thunder
   they heard? The bowling alley was on the other side of the wall p.62
3. What did the kids find under the mat
   they were sitting on? A trap door p.64

Chapter 9

1. Who was in the room under the trap
   door? Winnie p.66
2. How did the kids get locked in that
   room? Someone shut the door and locked it p.66
3. What did the kids find that may help
   them get out of the coal room? A coal chute that leads to the outside p.71

Chapter 10

1. How did the kids break the wood that
   blocked the chute? Dink found a shovel p.72
2. Why did the boys choose Ruth Rose to
   go get the police? she was the smallest to fit in the chute p.76
3. How did the boys find Winnie? She crawled
   up into Josh’s lap p.78

Chapter 11

1. What is Flip’s consequence for kidnapping
   Winnie? Community service p.83
2. What did the kids suggest could be
   Flip’s community service? Free gymnastics lessons for kids; do exercises with
   the old people in the senior center p.83
3. How did Officer Fallon treat the kids
   for solving the mystery? He bought them ice cream cones p.85