Jeff Newman

A young girl, missing her lost dog Prudence in this wordless picture-book from Jeff Newman and Larry Day, finds a lost puppy one rainy day and takes him in. Soon she and this new canine companion have bonded, and she is happy again. Then she spies a missing poster, and is faced with a choice: return the missing Roscoe to his former human companions, or keep him...?

Newman and Day do an excellent job capturing the emotional journey of the young girl in Found. Their artwork is immensely show more expressive, and the reader has no trouble at all following the story. I loved the used of line and of color here, as some scenes are depicted almost in outline, whereas other make use of a limited color palette that, perhaps because of its very limitations, stands out vividly on the page. There is pathos here, as both joy and sadness enter the story. Recommended to fans of wordless picture-books - the only text appears on the signs in the artwork - and to anyone looking for children's stories about loving and losing (and finding) dogs. show less

In this touching, wordless picture book, a young girl brings home a stray dog in out of the rain. Details such as a MISSING poster on a bulletin board, a basket under the bed, and a dog dish with the name PRUDENCE on it let the reader know that the girl's own dog is missing, and her body language is sad, even as she takes in the new pup. At first, she is guarded - she doesn't want the new dog to play with Prudence's toys, or sleep in bed with her - but eventually she relents and warms. When show more the two of them go to the pet store the next day, the girl sees a Missing poster for Roscoe, realizes it's the dog she has, and knows she must bring him back. She does so, and stands sadly in the face of a boy's joy as he is reunited with his dog. As she trudges home, though, a face at the humane shelter window catches her eye...

The use of color in this book is absolutely brilliant. Much of each picture is rendered in black and white line drawing, but the girl's green boots and red raincoat stand out, as does the dog. Morning sunlight is a wash of yellow, while the night that the girl spends cuddling the dog she knows she'll have to give back is cool blue. In the middle of the book, there's a joyful depiction of the girl rolling down a hill, with the dog leaping over her and a rain boot coming off.

Sad, hopeful, perfect. show less

Pretty amusing, but not something that I personally wanted to read and re-read. A few things I thought were particularly amusing for adults. I liked that we could see the zookeeper's name tag ("Randy") in one shot, which makes me think that the author (Jeff Newman) was poking fun at a friend. I liked that the rhino is not gendered and is referred to as "Rhino" throughout (nevertheless, I notice that other reviewers assume the rhino is male!). I liked the various people going through the zoo show more -- the little gnome kid, the person whom I can only assume is a drag queen whose hat gets blown off, the skeevy guy and the geeky girl he's hitting on with her pleasant smile -- so like people I've known.

Nevertheless there's not a lot of words, which makes it a lot more work for the adult reading it! So I wouldn't turn back to this one over and over again. However my 21mo had other ideas. "Rhino! Rhino-no-rhino!" she cries. "Where's rhino-no-rhino book?" So it seems this book is a hit for the little ones. Is it the rhino being so frustrated? Trying to cover up the sign with its poopoo? Throwing one of its little birds at the sign? Or the rhymes? Who knows. But the happy refrains of "Mamala read it! Mama read it!" and "RHINO! NO! RHINO!" pretty much seals the deal on this one, which has now been re-read about eight times in two days. show less

Constructed with little to no text, Newman relies on superb illustrations to convey this humorous story of mistaken identity. When an absentminded zookeeper places a sign proclaiming “Hippo” next to Rhino’s cage, the animal’s look of disbelief triggers a series of emotional episodes that will likely send young children into silly bouts of laughter. As the story progresses, Rhino’s demeanor turns from confusion to frustration which leads to rage and finally settles on dejection. show more Just when all looks bleak, a young boy comes along to save the day. Empathizing with Rhino’s disposition, the boy takes action amid the wreckage of artifacts dropped by startled tourists who faced the wrath of the unhappy Rhino. Suspense and humor coalesce as the final page is turned to reveal Hippo now donning the look of frustration as he stares at the “Porcupine” sign pointing in his direction. In the absence of words, the plot and corresponding emotions are articulated through crisp, vivid imagery and detailed facial expressions. The pages are brimming with abstract art that combines a bright primary palette, eccentric coloration of characters and scenery, and shifting perspective. Coupled with enthusiastic tones and sound effects from an adult reader, children are sure to enjoy this amusingly antagonistic tale. show less