Squirrel Lock Holmes #1: The Pet Rock Mystery: (A Graphic Novel) by Ashley Belote ISBN: 059389782X
Genres: Animals, Humor
Format: Graphic Novel
Goodreads
Squirrel Lock Holmes: The Pet Rock Mystery is the first in new juvenile graphic novel series that will delight adults as well as kids. Why? It’s sedimentary, my dear Watson: classic whodunit tropes, rock-solid puns, expressively drawn characters, and a spooky garden gnome cameo make this a delightful read as Squirrel Lock and his trusty Watson solve the mystery of who rock-napped Dwayne, a friend’s pet rock. This reviewer will refrain from reading future installments during a lunch break so as to avoid choking while laughing. Icing on the cake: reading-extension activities that will keep a young reader engaged with the book once the story is done – steps for how to solve a mystery, how to draw Squirrel Lock and Watson, a search and find puzzle, and clues to figure out what happens in book 2, coming later this year. Hint? It will be corny.
Suitable for 1st-3rd graders (and anyone who loves a good pun), this is a must-have for classroom and public library graphic novel collections. The Pet Rock Mystery will entertain, but a lesson in bit of deductive reasoning rocks too.
Reviewed by Beth Almquist, Lewiston Public Library