By Pam Walatka

“Zoe Sophia in New York: the Mystery of the Pink Phoenix Papers” by Claudia Mauner and Elisa Smalley (Chronicle Books, 2006) is written for children in grades one through four, but I thoroughly enjoyed it anyway.

Zoe Sophia is an intelligent, mature 9-year-old living on the Upper West Side of Manhattan with her parents (who make only a very brief appearance at the edge of a page), a housekeeper and a dachshund. Zoe Sophia attends the Wildendorf School for the Exceptionally Curious.

Her favorite person, great-aunt Dorothy Pomander, a writer, comes to town for a book signing and to research her next book - she wants to find a missing diary.

In the first book in this series, the pair collaborated on solving a mystery that took them to famous spots in Venice. The fact that there is now a sequel attests to the popularity of the first book.

The current book showcases Manhattan. In the course of finding the missing diary, Zoe Sophia and Dorothy visit the New York Public Library, the Penguin House in Central Park, Lincoln Center, the Metropolitan Museum of Art, the Empire State Building, Greenwich Village, Canal Street, Chinatown and SoHo. This would be a great book for children (nine or younger) who have an opportunity to visit New York. When they get to New York and see some of the famous sights, they will already know the sites are famous.

The writing team of Mauner and Smalley grew out of a friendship formed at Vassar College. In addition to co-writing, Mauner (who holds an master’s degree in fine arts) did the excellent illustrations. Watercolors fill the pages with delightful, whimsical color. Graphic innovations include scrapbook-style items “attached” over the main paintings.

Overall, the book is delightful.

The authors, who live on the East Coast, are scheduled to speak 9:30 and 10:45 a.m. April 10 at Linden Tree Children’s Recordings & Books, 170 State St. Mauner’s daughter Zoe Sophia, the inspiration for the book, will appear as the character and sign books.