Title: Sherlock Bones and the Art and Science Alliance
Author/Illustrator: Renee Treml
Published: May 2022
Publisher: Allen and Unwin
Readership: Middle Grade
Genre: Mystery
Format: Graphic Novel
Rating: ★★★★.5
RRP: $14.99
I received a copy of Sherlock Bones and the Art and Science Alliance from the publishers for review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
The intrepid Sherlock Bones and his quietly funny sidekick, Watts, and their animal friends are back to sneak around the museum and solve any mysteries that come their way. Full of fun, friendship and fascinating facts, this fabulous graphic novel is perfect for young readers who love adventure, mystery and a little bit of mayhem.
Hi there, I’m Sherlock Bones – tawny frogmouth skeleton, chief sleuth and star of all museum-related investigations!
Today is an exciting day because the museum has a new exhibit – and a new mystery!
Together with my partners, the ever-brilliant Watts and talking bundle of fur Grace, I’m here to track down the ghost that’s destroying the museum.
You might not be able to hear Watts, because, technically, she’s a stuffed parrot, but I always know what she’s thinking.
And right now she’s thinking: Can we solve the mystery of the haunted painting?
Today is an exciting day because the museum has a new exhibit – and a new mystery!
Together with my partners, the ever-brilliant Watts and talking bundle of fur Grace, I’m here to track down the ghost that’s destroying the museum.
You might not be able to hear Watts, because, technically, she’s a stuffed parrot, but I always know what she’s thinking.
And right now she’s thinking: Can we solve the mystery of the haunted painting?
I’ve seen the Sherlock Bones books around but never had the chance to pick one up and this was a very fun early graphic novel for younger & middle grade readers.
The Natural History Museum has a new exhibit – Art & Science – and Sherlock Bones, Watts and Grace find themselves investigating the mystery of a ghostly painting possibly haunting the new museum exhibit. Sherlock, a tawny frogmouth skeleton, is determined to find out what’s going on, and alongside his friends they evade museum security, eccentric artists and surprising elements within the new displays all in the name of finding out the truth of what’s making noises inside the museum.
This was an absolute blast to read. It’s fun and funny, and full of information about natural history museums, their exhibits and why art and science interconnect. It’s fast-paced, with quirky and engaging illustrations. I loved that you have a skeleton, a stuffed parrot (who only Sherlock Bones can here) and a live raccoon (Grace) who loves chocolate! They’re definitely characters that will delight young readers.
I also adored all the puns and jokes woven into the conversations between Sherlock Bones and Grace. This is in part due to a student I’m teaching this year who lives for jokes and puns and while I was reading I was thinking about how my students would adore this book. And it was just funny jokes – Renee Treml has also woven in interesting facts that will interest children.
I’ll definitely be going back to check out previous books in the Sherlock Bones series and I’m looking forward to sharing this story with my students.
Noveltea Corner 