Customer Reviews

Finders Keepers (Voyager)

5 star:		(4)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

Using a beautiful amalgam of line, space, and form, this 1952 Caldecott winner is truly worth of the award it won so long ago. In this simple story, two dogs (Nap and Winkle) dig up a bone together in the yard. The two find themselves unable to determine who the bone belongs to, however, due to the fact that Nap saw it first and Winkle touched it first. The dogs then proceed to ask a variety of different people (a farmer, a goat, an apprentice barber) who the bone belongs to. The people they ask, however, each have their own agendas and leave the dogs no wiser than before. It's only after the two ask a fellow dog that they come to a single conclusion about the bone's rightful owner.

Ostensibly, this is a book about sharing. But I like to think the plot is a little more complex than that. Sure, sharing comes into it, but the story really seems to show how people are only interested sometimes in satisfying their own needs, rather than the needs of others. Even the big dog at the end is more partial to the bone for his own purposes than the purposes of Nap and Winkle. So what we have here is a deceptively simple plot wrapped in an easy to understand package. The plot alone is enough to keep it memorable for years to come, but then you get to the illustrations. Ladies and gentlemen, I need only direct you to the first title page spread show how adept and spectacular this book truly is. This picture displays all the characters in the book interacting in interesting ways. All well and good, but the impressive nature of the picture comes through when you realize they've all been drawn against a black background. Suddenly the illustrator is using negative space in creative new ways (as well as placing the colors you'll find in the book as outlines). This is really a remarkable story. Only the colors red, black, white, and yellow appear in the illustrations but their adept combinations make the book both a fascinating look at 1950s design as well as the perfect compliment to a great story. On the whole, I give this book two thumbs way way up. I can't promise you that the book hasn't grown a little dated over the years, but the kids who loved it back in the day will be equal in numbers to the kids who love it today.

I read this book at a family book night. The children and parents enjoyed the story. It is a Caldecott winner so that was a part of the presentation as well.

What a great book!
I bought it on a whim and am so glad I did.
Teaches a good lesson about coming to an agreement and sharing and not worrying so much about how I can get what I want but how we can all get what we want.
My 2 year old son loves it and sometimes just randomly blurts out "Bone? Who cares about a bone?"

This book is very cool. I would say that it is for children ages two to eleven. This book is about two dogs who are digging one day and dig up a bone. Well, they cant decide who should get the bone beacause they both dug it up at the same time. They go around town asking people who should get the bone but the peole are interested in other things. This book has great pictures that go with the story. Kids would love this book! This book teaches kids that they should share things because if they fight over it thay might end up losing what they were fighting for.

I don't get the other reviews of this book. I find this book less about sharing and more of a commentary on american society of self absorption and taking things by force. this is not what I want to teach my son

Finders keepers is a weird book. The pictures are really weird. The story isn't bad but the ending is horrible. The two dogs are pretty cute until they get there hair cut. They basically go around the neighborhood looking for someone to solve there problem. They both found a bone and they need some help deciding whose it is. My favorite person they met was a barber who cuts there hair for them. They look real funny after that. I like how the dogs seem to be best friends.
This is a good book for kids, there isn't much meaning but I think it's rather enjoyable. I think kids would like the weird pictures and there crazy adventures. They have funny names also "nap" and "Winkle." It's a decent book I recommend it to everyone.

Is there time to put it off another day? Two friends will experience the task of sharing a prized possession. The challenge will help us to plan our stragies for future events.