Detective Stanley and the Mystery at the Museum

This boldly illustrated graphic novel series kickoff by Tunnicliffe (A French Wedding, for adults) and Harrison (The Honey Bear Hive) stars a pancake-loving, Sherlock-style black and white dog with floppy ears and piercing eyes as the eponymous sleuth. While eating breakfast on what should have been his first day of retirement ("The only puzzles he'd be solving would be jigsaws"), Stanley receives an urgent plea to dust off his deerstalker cap: someone has left the local art museum in disarray, yet nothing appears to be missing, not even Composition Deux, a prized abstract painting by Bleat Mondrian (a playful nod to Piet Mondrian, the subject of the book's afterword). Despite a brief setback-jealous rhino Superintendent Shiro imprisons him for alleged watch theft-Stanley's keen nose and oil painting knowledge lead him to uncovering the crime and its culprit. Clear line drawings and single-plane compositions propel the meaty, joke-punctuated plot at a brisk pace and echo the crisp geometry and vibrant colors of Mondrian's work. * Publishers Weekly *
A canine gumshoe has a case to solve. The newly retired Detective Stanley has just sat down to a stack of fresh pancakes when a mysterious letter arrives. [...] Stanley must crack the case-his very freedom depends on it. This Poirot-esque pooch quietly uses his powers of observation to gather evidence until the climactic scene in which he elegantly ties everything together. Bustling, precisely constructed panels give the settings plenty of life and personality. The museum is full of homages to well-known artists; a work of art by "Bleat" Mondrian is an especially winsome addition. The scenes are bursting with other eye-catching details, particularly those in the prison[...]The book concludes with some context about oil paintings, playfully presented inside modernist rectangles of color. The arrival of a plucky new detective on the scene is cause for celebration.(Graphic fiction. 6-9) * Kirkus Reviews *
Detective Stanley has an unerring nose for solving any case, and you, dear reader, will love this lovely book. -- Laura Suàrez * author of Monster Support Group *
Art and mystery collide in this first in a new series, in which a doggy detective is called to investigate a case at the Art Museum. Readers will learn about the art of Piet Mondrian while accompanying Stanley as he attempts to unravel the clues. -- Charlotte Eyre * The Bookseller Children's Previews February 2025 *
In clear, crisp art, brief text and a smidge of humor, this early graphic novel mystery is an entertaining art-related read. [...] Early grade mystery lovers who enjoy a smart, literary but easy to read mystery will snap this one up. -- Stephanie Tournas * Youth Services Book Review *