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Dear Book Lovers, Welcome! I am delighted that you have found The Through the Looking Glass blog. For over twenty years I reviewed children's literature titles for my online journal, which came out six times a year. Every book review written for that publication can be found on the Through the Looking Glass website (the link is below). I am now moving in a different direction, though the columns that I write are still book-centric. Instead of writing reviews, I'm offering you columns on topics that have been inspired by wonderful books that I have read. I tell you about the books in question, and describe how they have have impacted me. This may sound peculiar to some of you, but the books that I tend to choose are ones that resonate with me on some level. Therefore, when I read the last page and close the covers, I am not quite the same person that I was when first I started reading the book. The shift in my perspective might be miniscule, but it is still there. The books I am looking are both about adult and children's titles. Some of the children's titles will appeal to adults, while others will not. Some of the adult titles will appeal to younger readers, particularly those who are eager to expand their horizons.

Thursday, March 17, 2011

The TTLG 2011 Picture Book Celebration - Book Seventy-Six

Losing something precious can be a very painful experience for a child, but it can also be a very painful experience for the thing that gets lost. In today's picture book you are going to meet a teddy bear who gets lost, but who decides that he is not going to take his situation lying down.

Michael Rosen
Illustrated by Joel Stewart
Picture Book
Ages 5 to 7
Candlewick Press, 2009, 978-0-7636-4537-3
   One day, Red Ted’s little girl, Stevie, leaves Red Ted on the train by accident. Red Ted ends up in a huge room that is full of things that people have left on trains. He is put on a shelf next to a toy crocodile, and the crocodile explains that they are in the “Place for Lost Things.” The crocodile has been there so long that he no longer remembers the child he once belonged to.
   For a short while, Red Ted cries. What a terrible situation he is in. Then Red Ted decides that he is not going to wait to be found. Instead, he is going to find Stevie for himself. The brave little bear, with the crocodile in tow, makes his way out of the train station. The toys have no idea where to go next, but luckily a friendly cat thinks she may know where Stevie lives. The cat loves cheese, and Red Ted has a cheesy aroma on his fluffy person that smells familiar.
   This heartwarming picture book will surely charm anyone who has been lost, or who has lost something precious. Being lost can be very upsetting, and Michael Rosen captures Red Ted’s feelings and his courage to perfection. Joel Stewart’s mixed media illustrations with their graphic novel format are delightfully unique, perfectly complimenting the text throughout the tale. 

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