Lost and Found

by Bill Harley, Adam Gustavson (Illustrator)

Overview

A little courage yields unexpected surprises when Justin visits the dreaded lost and found.

When Justin loses the special hat his grandmother made for him, he looks everywhere he can think of to find it. Everywhere, that is, except the lost and found. Mr. Rumkowsky, the old school custodian, is the keeper of all the lost and found items, and everyone is afraid of him, including Justin.

With his grandmother coming to visit soon, his mom upset, and the hat nowhere in sight, Justin finally musters the courage to enter Mr. Rumkowsky's domain. There he discovers a whole world of treasures—lost items Justin's friends (and generations of children before them) have been too afraid to claim. Things keep getting weirder and weirder, until way down at the bottom of Rumkowsky's giant box Justin unearths something completely unexpected…

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781561456284
Publisher:	Holiday House
Publication date:	10/02/2012
Pages:	32
Product dimensions:	9.50(w) x 11.20(h) x 0.40(d)
Lexile:	AD530L (what's this?)
Age Range:	4 - 8 Years

About the Author

Bill Harley is a two-time Grammy Award–winning storyteller, musician, and author who has been writing and performing for kids and families for more than forty years. He has appeared nationally in theaters, schools, libraries, festivals and conferences, as a workshop leader and keynote and inspirational speaker. His picture books and middle-grade novels have won wide acclaim, from Bank Street School of Education Best Books, Children's Choice Awards, Green Earth Book Awards, and pick of the list from ABA.
Harley was called "the Mark Twain of contemporary children's music" by Entertainment Weekly. He lives in Massachusetts.

Adam Gustavson holds an MFA from the School of Visual Arts and a BFA from Rowan University and has taught at Seton Hall University and Philadelphia's University of the Arts. He is the award-winning illustrator of over thirty books for children. He lives, paints, teaches, and plays music in his home state of New Jersey, along with his charming family and a neurotic poodle.

Editorial Reviews

"An easily relatable story. . . readers will grasp the joke and have an additional laugh as they view the artwork on the final pages. The large-size font will be an aid to those learning to read using the picture clues. A welcome addition." —School Library Journal

"With stifling tension, Harley has found the perfect emotional pitch to explore such universal childhood fears. . . Gustavson enhances the dramatic mood with realistic double-page spreads that artfully use a child's-eye perspective" —Kirkus Reviews

"Gustavson's well-composed paintings bring the story to life on the page through expressive character portrayal and the clever details of setting. . . An excellent read-aloud choice for classroom or library." —Booklist

From the Publisher

K-Gr 2—Harley has created an easily relatable story about a lost winter hat. Lovingly crafted by Justin's grandmother, who will soon visit, the gift causes the youngster several moments of consternation during his search for it at school. Finally, he gathers his courage to ask Mr. Rumkowsky, who is in charge of the Lost and Found, if it is there. Gustavson fills the pages with oil paintings that have varying perspectives. Particularly amusing is the gigantic box that stores all the lost items (the upside-down alert printed on its side reads: "Caution. Circus Animals. This side up"). Children will feel the ominous glare from the custodian, a Wilford Brimley lookalike sporting a full white walrus mustache, as he waits for Justin to go through the plethora of hilarious articles collected throughout the years. When Gran arrives, readers will grasp the joke and have an additional laugh as they view the artwork on the final pages. The large-size font will be an aid to those learning to read using the picture clues. A welcome addition.—Blair Christolon, Prince William Public Library System, Manassas, VA

School Library Journal

Storyteller Harley embodies a child's fears with humor and sympathy. Justin has lost his favorite hat, the one his grandmother made for him. His mother pesters him to find it before grandmother visits on the weekend. After an exhaustive search, the last place to look is the dreaded Lost and Found. Justin's friend Devaun already lost his baseball jacket and was too afraid to go see Mr. Rumkowsky, the ancient custodian and keeper of the massive pile of lost belongings. With stifling tension, Harley has found the perfect emotional pitch to explore such universal childhood fears as visiting mysterious corners of the school or facing a terrifying adult. This story captures the essence of a brave child who confronts Authority. Not surprisingly, Mr. Rumkowsky is much kinder than he looks, but his gigantic box harbors much that is unsuspected. Harley's view of the elementary-school world succeeds in making Justin's fanciful experience palpably real. Gustavson enhances the dramatic mood with realistic double-page spreads that artfully use a child's-eye perspective. The word "CAUTION" blazes from a cleaning bucket. There are endless locks on the janitor's door. Leaves scatter everywhere, just like a young boy's belongings. Within this child's view of the world, full of questions and pressure and misunderstanding, wisdom comes--sometimes from the unlikeliest places. (Picture book. 5-9)

Kirkus Reviews