The Case of the Missing Flower (Ivy and Bearlock Holmes Book 1): 15 Puzzles for Sleuths to Solve

by Kristyna Litten

Genres: Graphic Novels, Middle Grade, Mystery, Fiction, Graphic Novels Comics, Childrens, Comics

80 pages, Hardcover

Published July 22, 2025

About the author

Kristyna Litten has written and illustrated several books for children, as well as creating artwork for book covers and magazines. This is her first book with Candlewick Press. She lives in Yorkshire, England.

Reviews

[Hannah Showalter · Rating 4 out of 5]

Read this for work, so so cute! Really sweet artwork; something about a cute little bear really fills me with joy.

[Chris · Rating 5 out of 5]

The cutest little comic with the right amount of mystery, informative nature facts, and fun!

[Mama Bearian · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was so fun! The illustrations are adorable, colorful, and detailed. The puzzles are fun, and the story is so cute! My son loved trying to figure out the mystery from the clues left throughout the book. We also love that it worked in actual science and information throughout! As a parent/librarian, I loved this one as an intro to solving mysteries. It was laid back with no scary or questionable content for the age group. The back of the book says 2nd-3rd grade, but I would say a child as young as Kindergarten would probably love it as well. We are already hoping for another Ivy and Bearlock!

[Jenny GB · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is adorable. The illustrations are absolutely beautiful and packed with details. They are such a pleasure to examine. The story itself is good! It seems to be the right level of mystery for young readers with several plausible suspects and a satisfying ending. I love the science facts beautifully worked into the story in a way that was not preachy or taking you out of the story. Finally, using little puzzles to include kids in solving the mystery is genius. This is such a fun, creative, and thoughtful book. I really hope there will be more of these!

[Becky · Rating 5 out of 5]

I received this book from a bookseller friend and absolutely loved it! The illustrations are delightful and the story is a charming mystery. Young bear Ivy and her grandpa Bearlock Holmes work together to solve the mystery of the missing agave flower. Young readers will love the 15 puzzles throughout the interactive book: navigating mazes, cracking codes, finding matches and more. Kids will also learn about pollination and making honey. My 4 and 7 year olds both enjoyed this book.

[Katelyn Jayne · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is amazing.
From the full pages of art, to the puzzles added throughout. Was a wonderful book to keep my kids entertained, and I loved that they were able to solve the mystery along with the characters.

[Aliya · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a cute story and well illustrated. The concept was great but the puzzles were too easy for a kindergartener. Given that this book is a grade 2-3 reading level, slightly more challenging puzzles would have made it far more engaging.

[Llyr Heller-Humphreys · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 looking forward to more

[Emma Demopoulos · Rating 4 out of 5]

This graphic novel was so cute! I loved all the puns, and the art was so cozy.

[Melanie Gaum · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very cute and fun! I enjoyed the interactive elements.

[Clive]

C really enjoyed this book and wanted the next one right away! However, it doesn't come out until May! Which is forever when you're 6.

[Ardin Patterson · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love that this graphic novel incorporated puzzles! It was so fun!