Graphic novels and highly illustrated fiction titles are often overlooked but their potential for encouraging reluctant and newly independent readers is immeasurable. Kristyna Litten has certainly hit on a winning formula with her Bearlock Holmes series, a clever, beautifully crafted combination of puzzles, action-packed storytelling and real-world facts woven seamlessly into fiction.
Following on from Ivy and Bearlock Holmes: The case of the Missing Flower, her brand new second title in the series The Mystery of the Dinosaur Fossil, published by Magic Cat Publishing, is sure to be a big hit with fans of this dynamic duo. Where the first adventure brought readers into the world of botany, pollination and the secret life of bees, this time Kristyna takes Ivy and her grandpa, Bearlock, along with their readers, somewhere altogether more prehistoric.
When a rare dinosaur fossil disappears from Bearona’s remote Jurassic Ridge, Ivy and Bearlock face their trickiest case yet. The stakes are high and the mystery is packed with the kind of twists and hidden clues that will have young readers scanning every page for details as they unravel a mystery inspired by facts about fossils, evolution and conservation.
What makes the Bearlock Holmes series so special is the way it blends gripping storyelling with genuine non-fiction content. Highly illustrated throughout and beautifully designed in full colour, the book is also packed with 15 brain-boggling puzzles that invite readers to participate directly in the investigation. This cosy crime puzzle mystery series is destined to become a firm favourite with curious young detectives and eager fact hunters alike.
Here are some spreads from the book.
Kristyna recently gave her Instagram followers a rare glimpse behind the scenes of the creative process and her words offer a lovely insight into just how much heart goes into every page:
"Something I don’t often share is all that work that goes into making the finished books... The years of coming up with concept, months of developing characters, worlds and the weeks worth of writing and sketching story thumbs. In fact this part of the process is what I get most enjoyment from. More so than doing the artwork itself.
I love getting a huge piece of paper out on the floor and surrounded by my sketchbooks, immerse myself into the world to figure out the best way to layout each page. For Ivy and Bearlock, another element I have greatly enjoyed is coming up with the woven in puzzles. That has been super fun and I can’t wait for you to see them all."
And here are just some of Kristyna's beautiful preliminary sketches.
Based in Yorkshire, Kristyna is well known for her exquisite character design which has featured across picture books, luxury product branding and television advertising. Her unique hand drawn typography and sophisticated colour palettes translate seamlessly across a variety of projects and nowhere is that talent more evident than in the richly detailed world of Bearona, which she has been building from the ground up for years.
Congratulations to Kristyna on this amazing sequel, and a huge thank you to the team at Magic Cat Publishing for all their wonderful support for this brilliant series. Grab a copy of Ivy and Bearlock Holmes: the Mystery of the Dinosaur Fossil here. In case you missed book one, you can read our full feature on The Case of the Missing Flower here.
Find Kristyna on Instagram where she shares her latest fabulous creations and the occasional photo of her incredibly beautiful rabbit.
Take a moment to view Kristyna’s portfolio over on our website and take a look at more of her stunning illustrations from Ivy and Bearlock Holmes: the Mystery of the Dinosaur Fossil. Keep up to date with our artists' news by subscribing to our weekly newsletter.
