Lost

Nature Quartet

by Sam Usher

The third title in a quartet of imaginative picture books in which a boy and his beloved granddad discover the wonder of the natural world

A boy and his granddad spend the morning gathering materials to make a sled. When they take it out for a spin, they end up searching for a lost dog. Their snowy adventure takes them all the way to the Arctic, where they are finally able to find the dog—and her new friends!

Genres: Picture Books, Childrens, Adventure, Dogs, Family, Fiction, Storytime

40 pages, Hardcover

Published October 4, 2022

About the author

Sam Usher’s first book, Can You See Sassoon?, was long-listed for the Kate Greenaway Medal. He is also the author and illustrator of Snow, Rain, and Sun, the companion books to Storm, the first of which was long-listed for the Kate Greenaway Medal. He lives in England.

Reviews

[Tracie · Rating 4 out of 5]

A boy and his grandfather build a sled, then set out on a snowy adventure involving a lost dog, a pack of wolves, and a cake.

I love all of Sam Usher's books, and I probably say that every time I read and review one. But because I'm pretty sure no one actually reads my reviews, I'll go ahead and say it again: I love all of Sam Usher's books and this one is no exception. It's a perfect mashup of imagination, adventure and whimsy. The relationship between the boy and his grandfather feels real and warm; and despite the wild pack of wolves that propel the plot to its conclusion, this is a sweet, safe story that twists toward happily ever after. Young readers will enjoy looking for the sock monkey, black dog, and penguin that recur throughout the illustrations.

As Grandad says, "If you're lost, you never know who might come to your rescue."

Thanks to this delightful book, I will be very disappointed if my future rescuers do not come with cake.

[Courtney Kleefeld · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lovely illustrations.

[StoryTimeReadAloud · Rating 4 out of 5]

A fun day with Grandpa. A boy doesn't want to do anything one day. But his Grandpa takes him with him on a few errands. They gather supplies to build a sled and go sledding. They notice a "lost dog" sign up with a reward of cake. They find the dog and return him and have a delicious treat at the end of their day.
Simple enough story but told with a lot of charm. I loved the artwork--the boy has a glass with a straw in it and it shows the water refracting the light and "moving the straw". Loopy, the lost dog is in several of the pictures letting kids have fun looking for him/her. The grandfather/grandson interactions are benign and tender at the same time--all the grandfather's errands are "important" because they are leading to his interactions with his grandson.

[Sandy · Rating 5 out of 5]

You just never know how your day will go. It was a gray, cold and snowy day outside and all this young boy wanted to do was nothing. His granddad had other plans, so they bundled up and set off for some quick errands. The young boy makes inquiries as they make their journey to the different stores and granddad gathers supplies for a surprise for his grandson. Arriving back home, they set to work creating a homemade sled. Immediately, the young boy wants to take it outside for some sledding in the falling snow. Spotting a missing dog poster on a street lamp, the duo begins to call for the missing dog as they make their way. The snow begins to fall heavily and it now turns into a blizzard. As they try to outlive the storm, hunker down together, never giving up on locating the missing dog. Calling the dog’s name, as the wind whistles out on the white landscape, they hope the dog is okay.

Their day is far from over when finally, the weather calms back down. I enjoyed how this book ended as this young boy and granddad had quite the full day. I’m sure it was one day that they both will never forget.

There was something about the illustrations inside this book that I really enjoyed. Some pages the illustrations were very simple and then, on others the illustrations were very detailed and I had to spend a few minutes looking at everything that was spread across the page. The energy that granddad had in the book pulled the young boy through the beginning of the story and then, they worked together through the rest of the story. A sweet story, one that will be read again and again. 5 stars

[Bethany · Rating 3 out of 5]

A boy and his grandfather are spending the day together and head out to gather materials for a project. While shopping, they notice a sign where a family reports that their dog has gone missing. The two of them decide to go out and help look for it, but find themselves in a pickle when a blizzard hits. They wind up trapped and having to find shelter, growing a bit lost themselves. In a surprising twist, they are rescued by the very dog they're searching for, except he has some friends of his own.

LOST is a multigenerational story about adventure, kindness, and dogs. The watercolor style pictures are stunning and I love how the grandfather and grandson work well together with both their project and dog-searching. A part of me wishes the story focused more on the dog rescue and left out the part of the projects because it's a bit distracting from the main plot.


Final Verdict: Overall, this is a great winter read and a heartfelt story for grandparents to share with their grandchildren. It's perfect for fans of dogs and adventure.

[Mandy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Picture book. I am not familiar with Sam Usher, but his ink and watercolor illustrations immediately drew me in. Apparently this story part of a connected set of books about a boy and his grandfather. This one features a gray rainy day where the boy just wants to do nothing. But they go out to run errands and get materials for a project. After it is completed they venture out into what is now snow. There they see a lost dog poster, so they try to find the dog. In a bit of a blizzard, they find shelter and are rescued by the missing dog, and a few friends.

The story is just a bit fantastical but mostly recognizable day to day life. The illustrations are the powerhouse for sure, begging the reader to flip through them again. And in doing so you might notice a familiar dog following the duo through their errands!

[Calista · Rating 4 out of 5]

I like these nature quartet books. They start out in curiosity and add some fantasy and imagination and then it's been a great day. It's a lovely formula.

Sam wakes up on a dreary gray day and he doesn't want to do anything. Luckily, his grandpa has a plan. They go to all these place like a library and a hardwood story and spend their morning building a sled. By the time they're done, the ground is covered in snow.

Out they go into the wilds. They find a lost dog and life is wonderful.

The artwork is ink and watercolor. Sam Usher does a great job with getting the atmosphere of the day just right. I love how the granddad knows how to build curiosity. It draws the kid right in. Also, the cover has bumps on it with the snow, so it's textured, a nice touch.

I think kids will enjoy these books.

[Jeimy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Lost continues Sam Usher’s charming series of adventures between a boy and his granddad, but this one didn’t quite capture me the way the others did. The beginning is delightful as they gather materials for a sled and end up setting out to find the missing dog, Loopy. I loved the cozy feeling of those early moments and the fun of piecing together the sled, but after that, I felt a little... well, lost myself.

Maybe it’s because snow is a somewhat foreign concept to me, or maybe it’s just that Lost had big shoes to fill after the beauty of Free; but I found it harder to stay engaged as the story went on. That said, it’s still a sweet adventure that’ll likely capture young imaginations, even if it didn’t resonate quite as deeply for me this time.

[Lisa]

A boy and his granddad spend a cold wintery morning gathering the things they need to build a sled for the boy. Later while they are playing in the snow, and looking for a lost dog, the boy and Granddad get lost in the storm.

There is texture on the beautiful cover, and so much snow - I loved it. Usher's illustrations are beautiful, the opening picture of the boy with the very large window behind him - I wanted to do nothing but read books in his room and watch the snowfall. I loved the wise granddad who kept the boy interested all morning by keeping the sled a surprise. A fun read for a snowy day.

Cross-posted to http://kissthebookjr.blogspot.com

[Ioana · Rating 4 out of 5]

Știm cu toții cum e să te trezești de dimineață și să nu vrei să faci nimic. Tot așa s-a trezit și băiețelul nostru, fără niciun chef. Însă, bunicul său avea alte planuri, ce i-au condus pe cei doi la bibliotecă sau la magazinul de unelte. Meșteresc ei ce meșteresc și iasă o sanie măiastră, ce trebuie încercată imediat. Însă, atunci când cei doi văd un afiș cu un câine dispărut, totul se schimbă.

https://ciobanuldeazi.home.blog/2024/...

[Laura Harrison · Rating 5 out of 5]

How I love Sam Usher picture books. Usher creates the most beautiful works with his watercolors. Children will love to touch the embossed cover and gaze on each magnificent spread. Lost continues the lovely current grandparent/child trend in picture books. This one is about a grandson and his grandfather. They go to many different places and participate in several interesting and fun activities together. Lost makes a terrific read aloud and grandfather gift!

[Ettak · Rating 5 out of 5]

Such a cute picture book!
I actually had to back up and re-read because I was confused about the black dog seen following the little boy and his grandpa around during the start of their fun snow day.
I thought it was the little boy's dog, but it was actually the lost dog in question.
And the reward for finding the lost dog had me in stitches!
The illustrations really enhance the story. A perfect winter weather read.

[Jessica · Rating 3 out of 5]

That was different and highly unrealistic... but I think I maybe liked it. A boy goes on errands with his grandfather, and then they build a sled in one afternoon. They search for a missing dog because the reward is cake. I can get on board with that, who doesn't love cake? But they ride their sled... into mountains? And the wolves are friendly? I'm not sure about some of the components of the story...

[Lisa Van Gemert | Gifted Guru · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wonderfully illustrated story about a boy and his grandfather. Super sweet series, and a fave of mine.

It's great for asking questions as you read, like:
*Do you think those are dogs or wolves?
*Why do you think they crashed?
*Why do they have cake?
And so on...

Another great one from Sam Usher, who gives me all the David Small vibes.

[Molly Cluff (Library!) · Rating 5 out of 5]

I thought this was so cute and simple with darling illustrations (no surprise from Sam Usher!). A boy and his Grandpa build a sled, then set off to play--and search for a missing neighborhood dog at the same time. Perfect for winter, and an adorable granparent/grandchild relationship.

[Hilary · Rating 3 out of 5]

A boy goes out on the snow with his grandfather and notices a poster asking for help with a lost dog. Whilst they sledge they call for the dog who has since made some new friends.

A fun and slightly nonsensical story about a snowy adventure.

[Catie · Rating 4 out of 5]

A little boy and his grandfather go on many errands and then take an adventure. A dog is lost. To a little boy, this becomes a grand adventure, looking for wolves in a blizzard. An adorable story with delightful illustrations, perfect for a snow day.

[Melanie Gaum · Rating 4 out of 5]

I accessed a digital review copy of this book through Edelweiss.

[Sarah BT · Rating 4 out of 5]

Pair with Wolf in the Snow.

[Leova Manbhat · Rating 3 out of 5]

Boy spends a day with Grampa. They go shopping, makes a sled, plays in the snow and goes looking for a lost dog in the blizzard! Dog has made new friends - a pack of wolves?!

[Kaz · Rating 2 out of 5]

The art was the best part of this book.

[Holly Mueller · Rating 4 out of 5]

Perfect book to read on a snowy day!

[Erin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Love this! I hope that Boy and Grandad never stop having adventures. I will read every single one.

[emyrose8 · Rating 4 out of 5]

A sweet story about a bored boy and his grandpa who just might salvage the day with some brilliant ideas. The story takes an unexpected turn in the blizzard!

[Susan Kennedy · Rating 5 out of 5]

I want to pair this book with Brave Irene

[Heidi · Rating 3 out of 5]

Entertaining.

[Sarah Jewett · Rating 4 out of 5]

What a fun grandad. Leading this young boy along on an adventure he didn't even know to look for!

[Rachel F · Rating 4 out of 5]

Book read to Henry ☺️ 📚

[Kaethe · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very effective twist on the usual plot line. Outide it is "gray and cold and miserable" but Grandad has to go out. Adventure ensues.

"W B B & S"
Library copy

[Chrissy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Storytime: Dogs, Winter