Nini Lost and Found by Anita Lobel

Nini Lost and Found by Anita Lobel

My rating: 3 of 5 stars


I liked this read. I had an immediate connection to it since I had a cat who was lost and found. My cat was lost for 40 days. Still the premise of the book is one I think kids can relate to. The illustrations were beautiful. It looks like a good read aloud.

It got star reviews by Booklist and Kirkus. SLJ gave it a very good review.

Booklist starred (August 2010 (Vol. 106, No. 22))
Preschool-Grade 1. The last time readers met Nini, the beguiling striped tabby, she thought she was being left behind when her family went away (Nini Here and There, 2007). Now it is Nini who is making travel plans, thanks to an open door. Once outside, Nini walks slowly away from home, then moves faster, and before long she is very far away indeed. Reveling in new sights and smells, Nini thinks, “Oh, this is really, really, really nice.” But darkness brings strange sounds, and Nini smells danger. One scary spread shows a fox, an owl, and a big brown bear who chase her into the hollow of an old tree. Now being outside is not so nice; Nini wants to go home, and someone wants her home, too. “Come back, come back, little miss cat.” Nini doesn’t know what to do. If she leaves her hiding place, the animals might catch her; but “I must be brave,” she tells herself as she runs toward home. Scolded, yes, but then cuddled and loved, Nini is glad to be home . . . “for now.” Told with an elegant simplicity that children will appreciate (they might have some of the same thoughts themselves), this is filled with Lobel’s endearing watercolor-and-gouache artwork, with big swirls of emotion and the tiniest nod of relief in a little cat’s upturned lip. A wonderful read-aloud, with the length of the text, the size of the art, and the adventure of the tale all being just right.

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