Saffi Does Sherlock: Sherlock Holmes – The Blue Carbuncle (An enhanced ebook for kids) by Saffina Desforges

You can imagine the conversation Mark and I had when I told him that I had never read any Sherlock, right? Needless to say, the electronic airwaves where bluer than the carbuncle in this short story!

Now for those of you who are also ignorant as to what a carbuncle is (sounds like something you would have on the end of your nose to me!) then you can find a ‘sort of’ explanation here and I was right, generally it is something you find on the end of your nose, but Sir Arthur Conan Doyle referred to something else in his original text for ‘The Adventure of the blue carbuncle‘, one of 56 short stories written by the man who created Britain’s best-loved detective.

So what am I doing a blog post on Sherlock for? Well, here’s the thing – since watching the first BBC adaptation, I, like everyone else, fell in love with Sherlock Holmes. The second thing is: the works of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle are now public domain.

Now, the character of Sherlock has come a long way since SACD originally dreamt him up and the BBC recruited the mesmerising Benedict Cumberbatch to breathe new life into him; Sherlock, once again, slithered and sleuthed his way into the hearts and minds of the public, with a little help from Stephen Moffat & Mark Gatiss, I might add.

Before…

After…

So, you still want to know what this has to do with yours truly, am I right? Okay, okay, I’ll tell you.

Mark and I both agreed that seeing as kids had probably watched and loved the new Sherlock, that it’d be only right and proper that they should be exposed to the books again, but, there was an issue. Sherlock isn’t for kids.

Sure, for the most part, the stories are acceptable, but in many, especially the shorts, there are references of an adult nature. Drugs (as they were then), prostitution and violence can sometimes be found, so we came up with a plan.

“What about we re-write Sherlock for kids?” I ask Mark.

At the same time, my inbox announces that I have a new email. “”ere, Saff, how about we have a bash at re-writing Sherlock for kids?”

So that is what we have done. Sherlock with all the good bits and none of the bad. Good, clean fun for children.

Elementary my dear reader.

Speaking of that, don’tcha just love Martin Freeman as Watson in the BBC version? He is awesome!

Rumour has it today that the US are re-making a version of the program for American TV and in true States style, have cast Watson as a girl! Lucy Lui will play Joan Watson in the CBS version.

Of course, let’s not also forget the brilliant Robert Downey Jnr in the Hollywood blockbuster version, also awesome, but without, I have to say, the charm that only British television manages to conjure up.

So, suffice to say, Sherlock is pretty much on everyone’s lips at the moment and we hope to bring it back into the lives of the young in a good way.

‘Saffi does Sherlock’ will be a long-running illustrated series of books covering all the short stories of SACD. The first, The Blue Carbuncle is live on Amazon now and will be available on other platforms shortly. Cover and illustrations by our fabulous resident MWiDP designer Athanasios. Check him out here.