Sherlock Bones and the Natural History Mystery

August 31, 2020
When the valuable Royal Blue Diamond goes missing, the fate of the State Natural History Museum rests with Sherlock Bones, an animated, fourth wall–breaking frogmouth skeleton exhibited in the institution’s halls. Joined by inanimate ringneck parrot Watts and chocolate-loving raccoon Grace, Sherlock moves through suspicions, including a security guard tasked with recovering a toy dinosaur belonging to the museum director’s granddaughter. Clarity ensues once Sherlock poses leading questions that engage readers. Simple black-and-white art rendered in minimal panels populates Treml’s graphic novel debut, moving the story along rapidly and skewing younger than the intended range. Though Sherlock Bones exhibits charm, the story adds up to a familiar caricature of the famous detective. Ages 8–12.