Lost And Found by Oliver Jeffers

Originality in story telling doesn’t get much better than Oliver Jeffers. Lost and Found is a simple tale about a boy and a penguin and their growing friendship.

One day the penguin just turns up at the boys house and the boy presumes he is lost so takes him to the lost and found office. Once they reach the office he discovers no one is missing a penguin. The boy then goes on a journey to try and find out where the penguin has come from. As you follow the character Oliver Jeffers tells the story with a humourous tone that will amuse children and adults – lines such as “ He asked some birds if they news where the penguin came from. But they ignored him. Some birds are like that.” You will here children chuckling along as they observe the behaviour of the boy and the penguin.

Jeffers jumps into a childs mind and thinks out each scenario with the depth and obsession of a child – this clever style engages with children instantly as they can see themselves in ‘the boy’.

The non expressional penguin is taken back to the south pole by the boy as he believes that was what it wanted. As the boy floats away he realises the penguin looks sadder than ever so returns but finds it gone as the penguin is at sea looking for him too. The two are finally reunited and tell tales to each other all the way home.

Which child wouldn’t love a relationship with an animal and plays on the innocence of young minds – you can almost imagine young readers hoping one day perhaps a penguin will arrive at their doorstep too!

Almost a given with any Oliver Jeffers books is the quality of the illustrations that are an art form within their own right. Jeffers captures each emotion of the boy and brings the story to life.