Found

by Bruce Pascoe, Charmaine Ledden-Lewis (Illustrator)

Winner of the Kestin Indigenous Illustrator Award

This gentle story set in the rugged Australian bush is about a small calf who becomes separated from his family. The little calf is alone and simply wants his mother, sisters and brothers. He can see other animals, and after running to the river, manages to ask some horses if they are his family. The calf’s family have been taken away in the back of a noisy truck. So begins the little calf’s journey to find his family.

In Found we share the calf’s point of view in an evocative story, accompanied by stunning illustrations.

Genres: Picture Books, Childrens, Indigenous, Australia, Animals

40 pages, Hardcover

Published August 1, 2020

About the author

Bruce Pascoe was born of Bunurong and Tasmanian Aboriginal heritage in the Melbourne suburb of Richmond and graduated from the University of Melbourne with a Bachelor of Education. He is a member of the Wathaurong Aboriginal Co-operative of southern Victoria and has been the director of the Australian Studies Project for the Commonwealth Schools Commission.

Bruce has had a varied career as a teacher, farmer, fisherman, barman, fencing contractor, lecturer, Aboriginal language researcher, archaeological site worker and editor.

He won the Fellowship of Australian Writers´ Literature Award in 1999 and his novel Fog a Dox (published by Magabala Books in 2012), won the Young Adult category of the 2013 Prime Minister's Literary Awards.
Source: http://brucepascoe.com.au/about/

Reviews

[Brona's Books · Rating 5 out of 5]

When a calf and mother become separated by a man who puts them in a cattle truck, the calf is distressed and lonely. He searches for his stolen mother and hears her calls wherever he goes...until he eventually finds her in another paddock.

It's a simple story of being lost and found, but obviously there is more to this story than that. This is a book that allows adults to discuss difficult conversations like the Stolen generation with younger readers.

Ledden-Lewis's illustrations show us the world through the calf's eyes. The image of the man coming to take them away is frightening and we feel the fear of being alone and without family.

A very moving story, with a strong message to tell. As we have come to expect from Pascoe, he is showing us all how to view our history and our stories from another perspective.

[Jennie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Set in outback Australia, this is a story of a young calf left behind when the cattle are moved. Told from the calf's point of view it effectively portrays the fear and anxiety the young animal would feel and then the joy when reunited with his mother and the herd. Although the intent and purpose of the story is sound, i found the logic flawed - how did the calf so easily reach its mother across the river if the herd had to be transported by truck? If the calf could walk through the water, then surely the cows could have been herded across. This just didn't compute for me and it detracted from what would be an otherwise sound story capturing outback cattle ranching and the bond between baby and mother.

Chamaine Ledden-Lewis has done a brilliant job illustration the harsh outback environment with stunning colours and evocative expressions on the animals' faces.

[Serene Conneeley · Rating 5 out of 5]

A touching children’s book by author Bruce Pascoe (Dark Emu, Mrs Whitlam) about a lost calf who wanders the outback searching for his family. It evokes the sadness of the Stolen Generations, but ends on a positive note, with the calf finding his mumma and siblings again. Their reunion is heartfelt and hope-filled, conveying the power and importance of family, and making this a very moving story with a strong message. It’s beautifully illustrated by Blue Mountains artist Charmaine Ledden-Lewis on the stunning colours of the Australian outback.

[Lee · Rating 4 out of 5]

The illustrations of this book are beautiful. I loved the emotions Ledden-Lewis was able to portray on the soft features of the cows.

I know it's a picture book and you can only say so much, but I can't help but think the ending was a little easy. This calf must go to slaughter at some point, but it seems the metaphor then becomes overly pessimistic and so the story stops short.

[Gillian · Rating 5 out of 5]

I feel like this is a story with multiple levels and I can easily see how I might use it in both early years and upper years classes. The story itself is simply written and understood and the pictures are stunning. I love the way perspective has been used to such great effect and look forward to exploring this text with my class.

[T · Rating 5 out of 5]

A wonderful story and a moving message. The importance of family shines, however that might look. The artwork is gorgeous. Found leaves you with all those good feelings an amazing book delivers. (It is a beautiful honor to the stolen generations, that their story is being told by artists today, that they are still here, that they are not forgotten.) Highly recommend!!

[Freddie D · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm a fan of Bruce Pascoe but the real hero here are Ledden-Lewis' illustrations. They are rich in both colour and emotion: powerful, evocative and recognisably Australian.

[Clare · Rating 4 out of 5]

Simple tale with stunning illustrations.

[Tina · Rating 5 out of 5]

Memories of lost moments come to mind with this cute calf looking for his mum. Illustrations full of gorgeous colours and interesting angles and perspectives.

[Bec · Rating 5 out of 5]

beautiful book that tugs at the heartstrings and the illustrations are beautiful

[DonutKnow · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a bit sad for me. Heh, it kind of makes me think twice about eating beef 🤔😭 I don’t want to separate baby cows from their mothers!!