Horn Book (Mon Apr 01 00:00:00 CDT 2013)

When Farmer Jones and his family, who live in the Dell, find their cheese has been stolen, they call bloodhound Sherlock Bones, who "can solve any crime, anywhere, any time." Sherlock uses all his senses to track the pizza-making giant on top of a beanstalk. Bold and distinctive cut-paper illustrations complement the lively text, with its playful intermittent rhymes.

Kirkus Reviews

What's that smell in the Dell? / Do tell! / W—e—l—l…it comes from a cheese. / A great big cheese. A smelly, scrumptious cheese, / if you please." The cheese is so smelly the denizens of the Dell keep it in the middle of a field on a stone; it's so yummy that they all gather together on each full moon to eat a small piece. But one night, the cheese is gone! So Farmer Jones does the only thing he can think to do: call Sherlock Bones, a hound dog of a detective in a houndstooth-check coat. Sherlock uses his senses and his smarts to solve the spiniest of mysteries. He asks the right questions; he follows his nose. He writes down his clues, and he confronts…a giant?! When the cheese thief is brought to justice, everyone celebrates and congratulates Sherlock Bones. Crummel and Donohue try to capture the rollicking wit of their Ten-Gallon Bart series and miss the mark. Donohue's layered pencil and cut-paper illustrations are as detailed and expressive (especially the saggy, solemn Sherlock) as ever. However, shoehorning a logical investigation into a goofy tale of a pizza-making giant and a cheese cult that stores their Roquefort on a rock in the middle of a field doesn't fit. An additional purchase even after Sherlock explains his clues. (Picture book. 4-8)

School Library Journal (Sat Dec 01 00:00:00 CST 2012)

PreS-Gr 1 Call that brilliant hound, Sherlock Bones! The smelly, scrumptious cheese that sits in the dell, made from milk from a cantankerous, one-horned, two-eared, three-legged Cowabunga, is gone! Sherlock Bones uses his five senses to solve the case, interviewing the farmer's wife, the cat, the rat, and the Muffin Man about what they saw, heard, smelled, and felt (Sherlock Bones does the tasting). Lush illustrations made of layered cut paper and colored pencil capture the story's mirth. Rhymes dominate the text, making it a great choice for phonemic awareness: "Then, with nose to the ground, that brilliant hound started sniffing around. He picked up a scent, and off he went." The syncopated rhythm keeps the constant rhyming fresh and engaging. A spread at the end shows how the canine solves the crime, organizing his clues according to his five senses. The book ends with sheet music for "The Farmer in the Dell," on which the story is very loosely based. A surefire hit with children, and clever enough for adults to enjoy. Suzanne Myers Harold, Multnomah County Library System, Portland, OR