Found
by Salina Yoon
Walker Books, 2014
Picture Book
One day Bear finds a toy bunny in the forest which he thinks
is “the most special thing he has ever seen.” But worried that the bunny’s
family will be missing him, Bear sets out to find the bunny’s owner. As he
works hard to return the bunny, he wishes more and more that he could keep him
for his own. When the owner belatedly turns up, Bear faces a tough decision and
gets a surprising offer.
This simple story is made special by the way Yoon’s understated
text is illuminated by her bright, heavily outlined illustrations. The pictures
bring out the cuteness, emotion, and humor of the tale. The yellow and green
patches on Bunny’s stuffed body, his heart-shaped nose, and depictions of him
riding in a backpack on Bear’s back make him as hard to resist to the reader as
he is to Bear. Fun details reveal themselves upon re-reading, such as a little
yellow canary that follows Bear throughout the story. The bulletin board of
flyers for lost items is hilarious; captions include things like, “Lost: clown
nose. Contact: Sad Clown.” “Lost: My train of thought…” “Lost in space. Send
help!” Yoon’s well-chosen details are a joy to linger on in this charming tale
of warmth and friendship. This would make a great read-aloud to a group.
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