Where is Pim? by Lena and Olof Landstrom

Where is Pim? by Lena and Olof Landstrom
Buy Where is Pim? by Lena and Olof Landstrom at Amazon.co.uk or Amazon.com
Category: For Sharing
Reviewer: Ruth Ng
Summary: A sweet story that highlights perfectly the trauma of losing a beloved toy or comforter.
Buy? Yes	Borrow? Yes
Pages: 32	Date: February 2015
Publisher: Gecko Press
ISBN: 9781927271735
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I had a gankie when I was little. It was a ragged bit of blanket that went everywhere with me. Actually there were a couple of bits because my mum cut it into two so she could wash one whilst the other was in use! After gankie came Teddy, and he really went everywhere with me. I even took him to school where his name was on the register and he had his own reading book. Special 'things' and teddies can be very important to small children, and this story shows us how important these things can be, and how traumatic it is when they go missing!

Poor old Pom. There he is (actually, Pom could be a girl but I'll stick with him being a boy!) playing happily with his toy Pim in the park until, all of sudden, a dog leaps over and snatches Pim away! Pom and the dog look everywhere for Pim. They spot several things that, at first glance, look like Pim but turn out to just bit bits of old rubbish. Could Pim be in the pond? A quick fish around with a stick soon finds that it's just an old sock. You'll be happy to hear that the naughty dog returns with poor Pim at the end, and all is well!

The language in this story is very simple. Most pages have only one short sentence, and there are never more than two. Based around searching and finding things, the repetition works well and allows children to see the expectation of seeing something that looks like it might be Pim, but then the sadness at discovering it's not. I was relieved it was a happy ending, because I did wonder for a little while if Pim would make it back again! It's a lovely, quick read and so works well as one of those 'again, again' stories.

The illustrations add the charm, of course. Pom is a dumpy little character and, as I mentioned, could be a female although I automatically made him a boy since I was reading the story to my own little boy. The pictures are colourful, with lots of movement. I like dear Pom's expressions, and I love the little doggy who tries to help him find Pim. I'd like to elaborate about what Pim is, but he's a sort of non-descript stuffed animal. Maybe a rabbit. You get the idea anyway! There are a couple of pictures that use a different perspective, so we're looking down on Pom from up high. Those work very well, and I really like the style of the artwork through the whole book.

Parents should take notes whilst reading and perhaps, as my friend did, buy up multiple copies of the favourite toy, just in case of losses without such a happy ending. I think she has a drawer full of identical donkeys still, even though her daughter is nearly eight! This is a lovely story to share, nice and short for bedtimes and memorable for little ones who will enjoy the repetition and the lovely happy ending.

For more lost and found stories you might like to try Where Is Home, Little Pip? by Karma Wilson and Jane Chapman and Where Are You, Blue Kangaroo? by Emma Chichester-Clark

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You can read more book reviews or buy Where is Pim? by Lena and Olof Landstrom at Amazon.co.uk Amazon currently charges £2.99 for standard delivery for orders under £20, over which delivery is free.
You can read more book reviews or buy Where is Pim? by Lena and Olof Landstrom at Amazon.com.

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