Lost And Found - Board Book [Board book]

PreSchool-Grade 2–Once there was a boy who found a penguin at his door. From this opening line to the very end, this gentle story of friendship will capture young readers' imaginations. The child assumes that the penguin is lost, which is logical since the lumpy black-and-white bird does look awfully forlorn. Determined to help the creature find its way home, he discovers that penguins come from the South Pole, and the two board a rowboat. During their long sea voyage, the youngster passes the time by telling his companion many stories. However, when they finally reach their destination, he realizes that the penguin was not lost, but just lonely and looking for a friend. The soft watercolor paintings feature simple shapes and a palette that ranges from pale to bold. The boy has a square body, stick legs, and a round head with tiny dot eyes and an expressive mouth. For much of the tale, the characters are placed on crisp white backdrops, while colorful ocean scenes depict their journey. The text's subtle humor and the appealing visuals make this title a wonderful read-aloud.–Genevieve Gallagher, Murray Elementary School, Charlottesville, VA
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

PreS-K. On his doorstep, a little boy finds a penguin looking sad and lost, and he tries to help the wordless bird. When the boy discovers that penguins come from the South Pole, he takes his new friend there by rowboat, telling him stories along the way. He helps the penguin ashore and casts off. The penguin sadly watches him float away. Realizing his mistake, the boy returns for the penguin, misses him, finds him, hugs him, and takes him back in his rowboat. A sense of restraint underlies the illustrations, from the spare use of color to the isolation of the individual characters on the page. With clean lines and varied compositions, the watercolor paintings tell the story with a minimum of fuss but no lack of feeling. But unlike characters in the soppier sort of picture books on friendship, the boy and the penguin don't gush; they just quietly enjoy being together. With a succinct narrative text and a series of expressive illustrations, this is a fine choice for reading aloud. Carolyn Phelan
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

'An uplifting story...pictures of such spare beauty...suffused with a dreamlike quality.' Independent Online 'Oliver Jeffers makes impressive use of space in this affecting story of friendship...illustrations capture feelings of loss and loneliness through the most delicate nuances of facial expression...and body language.' Julia Eccleshare, The Guardian 'One of the most perfect stories in recent years featuring... one of the best conclusions in all of children's fiction. I can't wait until my nephew is old enough to read this with me, but until then, I'm more than happy to read it to myself. A minor masterpiece and one which will remain with you forever.' Bury Free Press 'Jeffers has a unique writing and illustrative style. It's a wonderful picture book.' Publishing News 'My picture book of the year, a joyful exploration of the power of friendship.' Irish Independent

Oliver Jeffers graduated from The University of Ulster in 2001 with First Class honours. His outstanding talent has been recognised by several high-profile awards, including the Nestle Children's Book Prize Gold Award. 'Lost and Found' animation was broadcast on Channel 4. Oliver lives and works in Brookyln, New York.