Squirrel Lock Holmes #1: The Pet Rock Mystery

(A Graphic Novel)

By Ashley Belote

Hardcover

Published on Mar 3, 2026 | 80 Pages

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Ebook

Published on Mar 3, 2026 | 80 Pages

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Grades 1–4
Ages 6–9

"Fun and frenetic! It’s no mystery, this is my sort of book!"—Ben Clanton, New York Times bestselling author of Narwhal and Jelly

It’s a mystery, my dear Watson! Detective Squirrel Lock Holmes and her trusty sidekick Mole Watson are on the hunt for a missing pet rock in this first book of the hilarious early graphic chapter book series.

THE CASE OF THE MISSING PET ROCK

Victim: Reggie the Rabbit’s Pet Rock, Dwayne (aka, "the Rock")
Scene of the Crime: Pet Rock Obedience School
Suspects: Reggie’s classmates—and even his teacher!

Detective Squirrel Lock Holmes and her partner in crime-solving—Mole Watson—are experts in finding lost things. But can they find Reggie’s pet rock? Or will they hit rock bottom?

Early chapter book readers will laugh along at the problem-solving skills of the silliest sleuths in the forest in this full-color graphic novel.

Keep your eyes peeled for the next Squirrel Lock Holmes Mystery: A Corny Maze Mystery—coming Fall 2026!

"An exuberant, pun-heavy romp for readers who like their mysteries served with maximum silliness and steady sleuthing." —Kirkus Reviews

"Slapstick humor (who knew gnomes could be villains?), clueless Watson, puns, and expressive characters make for a fun and silly graphic novel." —School Library Journal

ISBN 9780593897829 (Hardcover)
Published on Mar 3, 2026
Published by Random House Graphic
Pages 80
Dimensions 6 x 8-1/4
Age Range 6-9 years
Grade Grades 1-4
Reading Level Lexile: 500L | Fountas/Pinnell: M

ISBN 9780593897836 (Hardcover Library Binding)
Published on Mar 3, 2026
Published by Random House Graphic
Pages 80
Dimensions 6 x 8-1/4
Age Range 6-9 years
Grade Grades 1-4
Reading Level Lexile: 500L | Fountas/Pinnell: M

ISBN 9780593897843 (Ebook)
Published on Mar 3, 2026
Published by Random House Graphic
Pages 80
Age Range 6-9 years
Grade Grades 1-4
Reading Level Lexile: 500L | Fountas/Pinnell: M

Ashley Belote

ASHLEY BELOTE is the author and illustrator of fun and silly picture books such as Witch & Wombat, Sheepwrecked, and Little Red and Big, Bad Fred. She spent second grade training to be a detective and solved several mysteries involving missing socks, misplaced car keys, and the occasional cookie disappearance. Now she uses her sleuthing skills to create fun mysteries for every detective, side kick, and squirrel to solve.