06/20/2016
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.)
“An eye-popping take on I Spy.”—O, the Oprah Magazine
“This dazzling and delightful ‘seek and find’ book harkens to Maira Kalman’s Max series with its whimsical drawings and unpredictable color combinations. The Lost House could be an adventurous spread from an architecture magazine.”—The New York Times
"Filled with delightful drawings that are visually engaging and inspiring, this bedtime treat...will be a pleasure to read night after night for both kids and adults."—Real Simple
"[A] stylish puzzler [and] superior seek-and-find for all ages."—The Wall Street Journal
“The Lost House is packed with vivid illustrations and enchanting experience for old and young together.”—Goodhousekeeping.com
“Kids will spend more time giggling over all the quirky stuff Grandpa’s house is filled with in this search-and-find book than looking for the things they’re supposed to spot.”—Redbook
"Clever, irresistible, [and] visually engaging."—Kirkus Reviews
"Cronin’s silkscreenlike images are elegant as can be, resulting in a rich and suggestive excursion into a quietly unconventional world."—Publishers Weekly
"An artistic and creative seek-and-find book that makes for a fun interactive addition to most collections."—School Library Journal
"A visual marvel...[it recalls] picture-book classics from the early twentieth century, but the neon palette and whimsical humor place it solidly in the modern era."—Booklist
10/01/2016
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
2016-06-28
Before Grandad can take his two grandchildren to the park, he needs their help to find various personal items he’s lost.Locating Grandad’s misplaced socks, shoes, dentures, glasses, umbrella, tote bag, bow tie, pocket watch, keys, hat, and mobile phone in his enormous house, filled from floor to ceiling with a bizarre assembly of peculiar possessions, becomes a daunting exercise for all concerned. Inviting reader participation, the text offers clues and directs the hunt, beginning in the green living room and progressing to the red kitchen, yellow bathroom, pink drawing room, blue hallway, pink and gray study, purple reading room, brown attic, and green greenhouse before ending in the magenta mezzanine. Grandad’s missing items appear collectively in the frontispiece, but they are later diabolically concealed within the welter of lines and patterns adorning the incredibly detailed illustrations. Adding to the visual confusion, everything in each room (except Grandad and his silently searching grandchildren, all anthropomorphic dogs) appears in the same bold color, artfully camouflaging the lost items. Red shoes in an overcrowded red kitchen could be anywhere. Is there really a pink-and-gray bow tie somewhere in the pink and gray study? Where’s the green hat with the feather in the greenhouse teeming with green plants? Will the grandchildren and readers ever locate Grandad’s missing gear? A clever, irresistible, visually engaging search-and-find exercise. (Picture book. 4-8)
