Sherlock Bones and the natural history mystery by Renee Treml

Allen and Unwin, 2019. ISBN: 9781760523954.
(Age: 9+) Themes: Mystery, Graphic story, Museums. This book could best be described as oddball. With a simple cartoon-graphic style, the main character, aptly named as Sherlock Bones, is shown as a tawny frogmouth skeleton 'living' in the Natural History Museum. His sidekick, Holmes, is an avian taxidermy specimen! When a blue diamond in the Museum goes missing, Sherlock is 'on the case'. A raccoon is a bizarre associate and occasional annoyance.
With exceptionally lame humour and quirky illustrations, this is a few minutes of entertainment that will require the 'suspension of disbelief' as it is far from a credible tale. It is really suited to children who struggle with reading and need a 'graphic' text, or more able readers who need a few minutes of distraction, and the eccentricity of the book will probably drive its own interest. Teacher's tips are available.
Carolyn Hull