The Planet of Lost Things

by Mark Strand, William Pène du Bois (Illustrator)

Luke meets a Missing Person and an Unknown Soldier on the planet where lost things are found.

30 pages, Hardcover

First published December 29, 1982

About the author

Mark Strand was a Pulitzer Prize-winning American poet, essayist, and translator. He was appointed Poet Laureate Consultant in Poetry to the Library of Congress in 1990. He was a professor of English at Columbia University and also taught at numerous other colleges and universities.

Strand also wrote children's books and art criticism, helped edit several poetry anthologies and translated Spanish poet Rafael Alberti.

He is survived by a son, a daughter and a sister.

Reviews

[Mir · Rating 4 out of 5]

Because it is by Strand I was expecting this to be written in poetry, or at least poetical prose, but it's a regular kiddy-language fanciful picture book about little Luke dreaming that he flies a rocketship to a planet of lost things. I found the lost people and animals, and the disappearance of memories, a bit melancholy.

[Benjamin Niespodziany · Rating 5 out of 5]

After reading a heap of prose poetry by Mark Strand, I decided to check out his first children's book. It's a delightful and clever bedtime story for all ages. One day I hope to visit the land where everything goes that magicians make disappear.

[Rick Christiansen · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 good for imaginative children

[Anthony · Rating 4 out of 5]

Luke falls into a dream state, and while dreaming he visits The Planet of Lost Things where he spends time with The Missing Person, and The Unknown Soldier as they help him find his way back to his spaceship.

[The Brothers · Rating 2 out of 5]

Illustrations are mediocre, story is a bit weird and little hard to follow sometimes.