Patches Lost and Found [Hardcover]

Steven Kroll (Author), Barry Gott (Illustrator)

Book Description

Publication Date: April 9, 2001 | Age Level: 4 and up | Grade Level: P and up

Words first! That’s the way Jenny’s teacher says a story must begin. But Jenny loves to draw, not to write. Besides, how can she possibly concentrate on a story when her pet guinea pig, Patches, has disappeared? How Jenny finally finds her pet — and the words to her story — makes for a winning tale about the creative spirit.

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

K-Gr 3-A masterful blend of text and illustration. Kroll has fashioned a suspenseful, kid-friendly picture book that works on several levels. On the same day that Jenny's pet guinea pig disappears, her class is assigned a writing project. Although she loves to draw, she has trouble composing stories and is anxious about the assignment. First, Jenny puts her artistic talents to work making "missing" posters to put up all over town. She is so distraught over the loss of Patches that she imagines that terrible things have befallen him, including being kidnapped by a masked thief and smuggled onto a train. She translates all of her anxiety into drawings that show the worst of her fears. All ends well when a neighbor returns her beloved pet and Jenny constructs a narrative to accompany the pictures she has drawn. Gott's digitally generated cartoons are perfect for the story.-Barbara Buckley, Rockville Centre Public Library, NY

Copyright 2001 Cahners Business Information, Inc.

From Booklist

Ages 5-8. When Mr. Griswold tells his class to write a story, Jenny can't think of any thing to write about--and she'd rather draw pictures anyway. Her teacher insists, "Words first!" Arriving home, Jenny discovers that her guinea pig, Patches, is missing. She draws missing-pet posters and puts them up in the neighborhood and crayons a series of scenes depicting what might have happened to her pet. After a neighbor finds and returns Patches, Jenny's mother points out that her pictures tell a good story. Jenny adds words and successfully completes her assignment, even teaching her teacher that "pictures first, words second" can work, too. The many children who prefer drawing to writing will enjoy Jenny's classroom triumph even more than the return of her guinea pig. Written with a sure sense of narrative and an understanding of the concerns and the learning styles of children, the story finds apt expression in Gott's digital artwork, which has the appearance of cut-paper collage. The cartoon-style look and movement of the characters, unusual for collages, intensifies the book's child appeal. Kids may find inspiration in Jenny's wonderfully expressive, but convincingly childlike drawings to create their own illustrated stories. A fresh, fine offering. Carolyn Phelan
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

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Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 4 and up
  
• Hardcover: 40 pages
• Publisher: Winslow Pr; 1st edition (April 9, 2001)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1890817538
• ISBN-13: 978-1890817534
• Product Dimensions: 11.7 x 9.2 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,388,786 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Patches Lost and Found, March 17, 2003

A Kid's Review

This review is from: Patches Lost and Found (Hardcover)

When Jenny is assigned to write a stroy for school on anything she wants, she doesn't know what to do. Jenny likes to draw, and writing has never been easy for her. When Jenny comes home from school, and her mom tells her Patches is missing, Jenny draws pictures of Patches, and they hung then up all over town. When Jenny is in her room, she draws things that might have happened to Patches. Three days later and still no Patches, and Jenny still has no story.
On Saturday morning Patches is found, but Jenny still has no story. Jenny's mom goes in her room that night while Jenny is cuddling with Patches. Jenny tell her mom she still has no story. Jenny's mom looks on the wall and see's all the pictures she tells Jenny that can be her story all she has to do is add words. So Jenny does and she does a very good job. I would recommend this book for children ages 4-9.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Super Book for Teachers!!!!!!, November 20, 2001

By 

Lisa Lavin (Odenton, Maryland United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Patches Lost and Found (Hardcover)

This is the perfect book for a teacher to use in the classroom. It helps children understand that when they have to write something, they don't always have to write then draw a picture to go with it, they might do better drawing first then putting words to it later!! The story is realistic and very fun to read with great illustrations!!!!!!!

5.0 out of 5 stars Great book!, July 6, 2008

By 

JessKSC (Connecticut) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Patches: Lost And Found (Paperback)

Book was adorable for 1st grade! I bought it to go with Stefanie Harvey's Comprehension Toolkit for Grades K-2.