If your age five and up reader is looking for a cute mystery with the elements of Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson meets Law and Order meets Colombo quality then you want Paw & Order Vol. 1: The Grilled Cheese Caper by Jason Platt. Mostly the shorter graphic novel is based in a Holmes and Watson dynamic (a cat and dog), but our cat hero is a bit more goofy than Holmes, so has the bumbling feel of Columbo. Of course, Columbo was much more intelligent and got his man. Or in this case, their… okay I won’t spoil it with who done-it.
The characters must find out who stole the grilled cheese sandwiches from the grilled cheese sandwich festival. We have our obvious Moriarty character, and a few other suspects. The puns and humor of the book works for both kids and adults (though adults will get the Sherlock Holmes references, while the kids will like the fact the alligator chews on the soup cans). The story is told at a medium to fast pace and the illustrations allow that to happen as they are on the simpler side, colorful and show the antics. Overall, it is a good first graphic novel for your reader and while I am not OMG Best Book Ever! with it, I do think kids will get a kick out of it.
Author Platt is also the author of Middle School Misadventures. This allows your child to continue reading a new favorite author as they wait for other books in the Paw and Order series. However, Misadventures is realistic, whereas Paw and Order is mystery and fantasy making it a case of if you’re not a fan of one, try the other “just in case.” Read via an online reader copy and the title is out in later August 2025. (And book two is due late October 2025)