I learned so much from this book! It portrayed Arthur Conan Doyle's life through beautiful illustrations right from birth to the major success of Sherlock Holmes. I read this one with my younger brother who also absolutely loved it- party as he's also named Arthur, but also because he loved the story. I think the author did a great job of keeping the story engaging for children whilst covering slower topics such as Arthur Conan Doyle's desire to write other things- I found this depiction of his changing writing habits the most interesting as I'd never heard anything about them before, I would really recommend this for any Sherlock fans who maybe don't know so much about the suthor- this book reminded me of the 'Little People, Big Dreams' series, so I'd also recommend it to fans of that.

Thank you to NetGalley and Penguin Random House for providing me with an advanced ebook copy of this book!

I always love to find out more about the authors behind the stories. But who has the time and energy to read whole memoirs? Well, I don’t. So, for lazy people like me this children’s book about the author of the famous Sherlock Holmes is a perfect shallow dive into the life of Arthur Conan Doyle.
I would recommend this book to older children who know the stories of Sherlock Holmes, mostly because it shows a lot of smoking in it – which is one of Sherlock Holmes’s traits – and mental health issues. Younger readers are not ready for this in this context. Maybe 13 and up would be best. Younger kids shouldn’t be reading Sherlock Holmes anyways.

An interesting, informative look at the author of the Sherlock Holmes detective stories, this book explores the author's childhood, career as a medical doctor, and his work as a writer. Readers learn about the man who inspired the author to create Sherlock, and how after years of writing, Doyle killed off Sherlock Holmes only to bring him back again much later. The illustrations add detail, emotion, and imagination to the story. An author's note at the end of the book reveals her growing interest in her subject as she began investigating him. This book provides an engaging look at an author's life and work.

I've always been a fan of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle so I was quite excited to read this book to my son. We both agree that it gives a lot of interesting biographical information about the author and that the illustrations are very charming. However, the somewhat overly conversational tone of the writing didn't appeal to my son or myself and we both thought it strange that Doyle's ghost stories and obsession with the occult were overlooked.
I think many children who are aware of Sherlock Holmes would find this book interesting, it just wasn't the right book for my eight year old and I.

Thank you to NetGalley, the publisher, and the author for giving me a free digital copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Links to reviews will be updated the week of publication.

I’m a huge fan of Sherlock Holmes and had to obviously read this too. I did not know the story of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle but this picture book told his story simply and beautifully.

I must admit that it was not very informative as biographies usually go and the author could have made it more interesting for children but I still enjoyed it.

The illustrations were superb though. I stared at each one before moving on to the next page. I really like them a lot.

Thank you Penguin Random House Canada for the free copy on Netgalley. All opinions expressed are my own.

This great picture book will appeal to kids who have heard of Sherlock Holmes, and may lead to them picking up one of the Sherlock tales. We learn a lot about Arthur Conan Doyle's life. He's tenacious and perseveres despite being raised in poverty. He may not have had much money, but he had a tremendous imagination. Later, as a med student, he needed to take jobs to support his studies, and he had plenty of adventures. All of these came together in his writings - over 200 short stories and over 30 novels. His most famous of course is Sherlock Holmes, and the book discusses the pressures of fame. Lovely illustrations as well.

4.4/5

Recommending to order to elementary library

I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own. Thank you to Netgalley & Penguin Random House Canada!

Who is the man behind the world’s most famous detective? This beautifully illustrated children’s book follows Sir Arthur Conan Doyle from humble childhood to illustrious writer. It also goes into some of his lesser known adventures as a world traveler and fighter for justice. Arthur Who wrote Sherlock discusses how the creation of his mysteries changed Arthur’s life.

While this is a children’s book, the author does not shy away from Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s challenging upbringing. This may be difficult and sensitive for some younger readers.

This book would make a nice addition to any elementary classroom or home school collection. I look forward to checking out more of author Linda Bailey’s books in the future.

This is the picture book biography of Arthur Conan Doyle, author of the Sherlock Holmes mysteries. The story follows Arthur, a man who grew up book and endured many hardships in his childhood and early adult life. When he suddenly becomes famous for writing about a detective named Sherlock Holmes the wealth and fame quickly get out of hand and Arthur doesn't know what to do. Picture book biographies are great opportunities for young children to learn about historical people from the past through story and pictures. I like that this one focuses on an author, as many focus on scientists or inventors, and also appreciate that it demonstrates that while we might explore many different career paths, sometimes it takes time and perseverance before we find the right path for ourselves. As a grade 3 teacher I could definitely see this book in my classroom library. I would recommend this book for teachers and families of children in the 5-10 age range. I so appreciate Netgalley and the publisher for giving me the opportunity to read and review this great book!

I really enjoyed "Mary, Who Wrote Frankenstein' so I was really excited to see another similar title. The book is informative for kids and adults alike and the illustrations are beautiful.