Missing Molly [Hardcover]

Lisa Jahn-Clough (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: March 27, 2000 | Age Level: 5 and up | Grade Level: K and up

Simon and Molly are best friends. They love to play hide and seek, even though Simon says that Molly is too easy to find. But one day, Molly hides so well that Simon can't find her anywhere. Where is Molly? Is she truly missing? Simon looks for Molly everywhere -- under the sink, behind the chair, in the toy box. Molly is missing! Things grow even more mysterious when a stranger appears at the door to help Simon look for the missing Molly. Lisa Jahn-Clough's simple text and colorful artwork will have children engrossed in the search for Simon's best friend. And they may even figure out who the mysterious stranger is before Simon does.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

More likely to tickle kids on the younger end of the targeted audience, Jahn-Clough's (Alicia Has a Bad Day) lighthearted story introduces two best friends whose favorite game is hide-and-seek. When Simon complains that Molly's hiding places are too obvious, the girl takes quite a different tack. As Simon searches Molly's house for his missing playmate, a "strange girl" appears at the door wearing an oversize hat, sunglasses and a feather boa that covers much of her face. Simon doesn't recognize his pal but readers surely will--and they'll willingly join in the hoax as the disguised Molly helps him search for her. Jahn-Clough fills her amiable, rudimentary illustrations with a subtle hint or two (some boa feathers fall from Molly's bedspread when the boy looks under her bed) and playful particulars: a mouse peeks out from behind a paint can as Simon peers under the sink; the disguised Molly's red, high-heeled boots are shown clutching the trunk of a tree as her upper half disappears in the branches ("No Molly here," she reports). A fun frolic that ends in a happy reunion. Ages 4-8. (Mar.)
Copyright 2000 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From School Library Journal

PreSchool-K-Best friends Molly and Simon enjoy playing hide-and-seek together. Simon is frustrated, however, by the ease with which he finds his friend (she always hides under the kitchen sink). When he complains, she is determined to make things harder for him. Initially intrigued when he comes to visit and can't find her, Simon soon begins to worry about her. Then a mysterious girl wearing sunglasses, a hat, and a feather boa knocks at the door. He enlists her in his search, but the two are unsuccessful-until Molly reveals herself. Youngsters will delight in seeing through her disguise and will be reassured by Simon's faithful friendship. While the plot is somewhat predictable, the illustrations are fresh and childlike and the text is fast paced. Though the setting and action seem realistic, there is an engaging element of fantasy implied in the illustrations. After all, most children don't live independently, as these two seem to, in charming, side-by-side cottages. The brightly colored paintings have a primitive look, with flat shapes and minimal detail. Still, Jahn-Clough clearly conveys the children's emotions and the story's action. This clarity and the straightforward text make the book a natural choice for storytime sharing.
Lisa Dennis, The Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh, PA
Copyright 2000 Reed Business Information, Inc.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 5 and up
  
• Hardcover: 32 pages
• Publisher: Houghton Mifflin Books for Children (March 27, 2000)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0618009809
• ISBN-13: 978-0618009800
• Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 8.8 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 9.6 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #6,211,951 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Lisa Jahn-Clough grew up on the coast of Maine to a painter mother and zoologist father. She knew from a very early age that she was going to become a writer and an artist, and started making and selling her first hand-made books in 1990. She now has thirteen books published (picture books and young adult novels).
Lisa has always been interested in learning so she did her undergraduate studies at Hampshire College, and went on to receive her MFA in Creative Writing from Emerson College. She then become a professor. She was writer-in-residence for nine years at Emerson College, chair of Illustration at the Maine College of Art, and taught at the Vermont College Writing for Children program. Currently Lisa is faculty at Hamline University MFA Writing for Children department.
Lisa lives with her partner, the author/illustrator Ed Briant, and their two dogs in Savannah, Georgia and Portland, Maine.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

31 of 32 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars For Very Best Friends, August 10, 2005

By 

My Uncle Stu (Atlanta) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

This review is from: Missing Molly (Paperback)

Simon and Molly are best friends. They play together well, but are in a bit of a rut, with the game always being hide-and-seek and Molly always hiding under the sink. Tom challenges Molly to be more creative in her hiding, and she answers the challenge by returning in disguise to help the panicked boy look for his friend. Cute illustrations, loved the disguises, loved the cat frolicking along making a mess in the peripheries of some pictures.

I don't want to be uptight about this, but I really cringed at the suggestion of hiding underneath the sink, especially when we see a close up, on page 13, of Tom looking for Molly under the sink. We see a mouse, a mousetrap, a hammer, a box of nails, a box of "tom's tacks," two cans of paint, and two bottles of presumably toxic cleansers labeled "super duper power," and "pow wow." I had to pause and lecture my daughter to never hide under the sink, no matter how tempting this book made it appear.

But, alas, we are treated to the moment of revelation, when Tom realizes that the new guest consoling him over his lost friend is actually her, Molly. It packs an emotional punch not felt since Yoda's identity was initially revealed to Luke Skywalker. Tom goes from bereavement to exultation in the turn of a single page. It's a touching moment, complete with some awkward grammar, "I was just hiding on you." They declare themselves "very best friends" and joyfully stride off the play.

Overall, a good book, but flawed. [...] In fact, the library is great for kids books. Visit your local library today, and tell them Marc Libman sent you.

5.0 out of 5 stars One of my children's favorites.., June 4, 2009

By 

Book Mom (New York) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Missing Molly (Paperback)

"Missing Molly" is a great book (and quite frankly, all the books we have by Lisa Jahn-Clough are). I love the illustrations, I love the humor, my children love the entire story. It is so worth buying it & not just getting it from the library, because your child will request this one again. My daughter acts out the parts where Molly appears as a mysterious stranger (complete with big floppy hat, wig, deeper voice, etc). It's so much fun.

My top pick, though, (or an ideal book to purchase with this as a gift set) is "Simon and Molly plus Hester", also by Lisa Jahn-Clough. That is my daughter's favorite book. You WILL know it by heart. it is precious. We brought it into my daughter's story time at preschool, and the teacher wrote the title down, and purchased it for the class. It tackles the age old subject of the drama that goes along with 3 children playing together (2's a company, 3's sometimes a crowd, there's always issues!)and it's just wonderfully written and illustrated.

This has been my 5 year old's favorite & she still loves it. Now my 2 1/2 year old even asks for it.