Lost and Found (Iris and Walter, 8)

ELISSA HADEN GUEST is the award-winning author of the Iris and Walter series. She lives in San Francisco, California.

CHRISTINE DAVENIER is the acclaimed illustrator of the Iris and Walter books, and she received a New York Times Book Review Best Illustrated Children's Book of the Year Award for The First Thing My Mama Told Me by Susan Marie Swanson. She lives in Paris.

Grade 1-3-When Baby Rose grabs and breaks Iris's special button necklace, their mother helps to fix it for show-and-tell. After school,Iris borrows her friend Walter's harmonica, given to him by his grandmother. When it disappears, she worries about Granny's reaction. But the woman is understanding, and the missing instrument turns up unharmed. Iris and Walter are endearing individualists, with interesting taste in headgear. They are a refreshing addition to the limited literary offerings for this age group. Guest neatly ties up the mystery, deals with the drawbacks and advantages of having a little sister, and shows readers the warmth and support of Iris's extended family. The text is appropriately composed for young readers without being boring, repetitive, or preachy. Davenier's pen-and-ink illustrations are sunny and full of activity, with Baby Rose in seven different places at once. The deceptively simple drawings convey a range of emotions on the children's faces, and even the cat has a personality. Iris and Walter are a perfect pair of friends, created by a perfectly matched team.-Jane Barrer, Washington Square Village Creative Steps, New York City
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