The Lost House: A Seek and Find Book

To call this a seek-and-find book doesn't come close to conveying the eccentricity of newcomer Cronin's creation, in which Grandad--a portly, upper-middle-class bulldog--and his two grandpuppies try to find the elder's belongings in a magnificent old mansion crammed with porcelain vases, model ships, flypaper, heraldic shields, and portraits of ancestors with bandaged noses (there are a surprising number of these). Each spread shows a particular room in which readers must find a certain object: "In his yellow bathroom, Grandad keeps his fishing tackle and his teeth. He really can't go out without his teeth! Can you find them?" Each object is findable, though readers must contend not only with the amount of items crammed into the images but also with the retina-searing shades of neon pink, orange, and other colors in which the rooms are decorated--it's as though forcing oneself to stare at the pages long enough to locate the missing objects is part of the challenge. Palette extremities aside, Cronin's silkscreenlike images are elegant as can be, resulting in a rich and suggestive excursion into a quietly unconventional world. Ages 3-7. (Sept.)

PreS-Gr 2--Two children and their grandfather are about to go to the park, but first they need to find all of Grandad's missing items. Readers are then encouraged to move from room to room, searching for one specific item per page. Each room is only one color, though, and with each object matching the hue of the room, the task is exceptionally hard. The pink room, where readers need to find Grandad's glasses, is filled with ovular objects, adding to the difficulty. The cover and front page show each of the missing items. However, there is no small picture on the page to show readers what they are looking for; frustrated finders will have to flip back and forth for a reference to what the requested item looks like. Still, some children will be up to the challenge, as each room is vividly detailed and decorated, with blinding color to draw in the eye. VERDICT An artistic and creative seek-and-find book that makes for a fun interactive addition to most collections.--Peter Blenski, Greenfield Public Library, WI