Reviewed by Asher Syed for Readers' Favorite

Gingersnap Snatcher, written by Vicky Weber and illustrated by Svitlana Liuta, is a children's picture book revolving around three children and a mystery to solve within their own home. The book begins with the children at school dreaming about the wonderful cookies their Abuela—grandmother, in Spanish—made and has waiting for them when they get home. So excited, they race home from school only to find none of the promised cookies and a trail of crumbs. As the children follow the trail through several areas of their house, they eventually find the snatcher of their gingersnaps...and it is not at all whom one would expect.

What a fantastic little story Gingersnap Snatcher is, written in a delightful rhythmic narrative that Vicky Weber hits with each syllable. The story is brought to life by the gorgeous artistry of Svitlana Liuta through the use of a vibrant jewel-toned palette and illustrations that are among the best children's literature has to offer. They are rich and balance firmly on that perfect spot between realism and whimsy, blending the two beautifully. Most books that have children hunting for a thief almost always end with a predictable animal as the culprit. Gingersnap Snatcher bucks the cliché of the same old story with a hilarious, decidedly unpredictable ending that resulted in a massive round of giggles from myself and my little reader. There was a connection between my daughter and the children in the book that was extra special in that the kids looked like her. Diversity in kid-lit is getting better but there's still a way to go. Sitting down with a story that is excellent in every possible way and features children of color, well now, I cannot imagine even gingersnap cookies being sweeter than that. Very highly recommended.