Red Ted and the Lost Things by Michael Rosen and Joel Stewart
| Red Ted and the Lost Things by Michael Rosen and Joel Stewart | |
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| Category: For Sharing | |
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Reviewer: Keith Dudhnath
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| Summary: A sweet lost and found tale, told from the point of view of the lost toys. Michael Rosen's text is as excellent as ever, and Joel Stewart's illustrations set the mood perfectly. Recommended. | |
| Buy? Yes | Borrow? Yes |
| Pages: 40 | Date: October 2009 |
| Publisher: Walker Books | |
| External links: Author's website | |
| ISBN: 978-1406310375 | |
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Red Ted is handed in to a lost property office, where he meets Crocodile. Red Ted is sure Stevie will come to find him, because she loves Red Ted as much as she loves cheese. He then starts to have a nagging doubt - Stevie doesn't know where he is, so what if she never comes?
Michael Rosen has done it again with yet another sweet picture book. Red Ted and Crocodile are immediately lovable characters, and you're rooting for them from the outset. Red Ted's worries will tug at your heartstrings, and his get-up-and-go attitude gets the thumbs up from me too. There are many lost and found stories out there, but this one is told from the position of the toys, doing the finding themselves. Yes, there are elements of Toy Story, but this is a much more gentle tale - a sedate adventure, rather than an action-packed romp.
Joel Stewart's excellent illustrations set the mood perfectly. Red Ted, Crocodile and those they meet on their travels are drawn in the usual bright boldness of picture books, but the backgrounds are washed-out, almost monochrome. They're there to pore over if you want, or you can just take them in as they are and focus on the story itself. Red Ted and Crocodile find themselves in a big world, with lots of things going on, but with their clear focus, they're not overwhelmed by it, and neither are the readers.
As always, Michael Rosen has a real eye and ear for the way children think, both tapping into and stimulating their imagination. When Red Ted and Crocodile finally find Stevie (sorry for the spoiler!) it's lovely to see her being able to translate their thoughts to her mother. It's a really nice touch that captures the magic of childhood. It's a warm book, a cosy book, a lovely book. Recommended.
My thanks to the publishers for sending it to Bookbag.
One True Bear by Ted Dewan is an equally sweet tale of a bear who has the right stuffing. Duck by Janet A Holmes and Jonathan Bentley is an utterly gorgeous lost and found book, and I Love You, Muddy Bear by Jane Simmons is also well worth a look.
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You can read more book reviews or buy Red Ted and the Lost Things by Michael Rosen and Joel Stewart 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 Red Ted and the Lost Things by Michael Rosen and Joel Stewart at Amazon.com.
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