Finders Keepers?: A True Story in India

by Robert Arnett

2005 Mom's Choice Award in the Children's Educational Picture Book category. Winner of Outstanding Books of the Year for the Independent Publisher Book Award and Winner of the most Inspirational to Youth Book Category Award. Benjamin Franklin Silver Award for Best Multicultural Book of the Year. Winner of The National Parenting Center Seal of Approval. The charming true story set in India is about a boy who found the author's wallet and could not understand why he should be rewarded for returning to the author what was his. The concept of accepting a reward for doing the right thing made no sense to him! The delightful illustrations take children on a picturesque, fun-filled journey through the exotic land. Though the setting is in India, the message is timeless and universal. The book emphasizes values that parents will want to pass on to their children and also provides an excellent opportunity to understand cultural differences and underlying similarities in our diverse world.

Genres: Picture Books, India, Nonfiction, Childrens, Storytime, Cultural

34 pages, Hardcover

First published October 15, 2003

About the author

Robert Arnett has a Master’s of Arts degree in history from Indiana University. His undergraduate studies were at Tulane University, the University of Georgia, and the London School of Economics in England. He taught History of Western Civilization for the University of Maryland, European Division, while serving 19 months in Turkey as one of the youngest commanding officers in the United States Army Signal Corps.
Arnett has made six trips to India, spending almost two years studying art, culture, and religion while living with Indian families.
Arnett has mounted a traveling educational photographic exhibit with 35 select photographs from India Unveiled. Seven sets of the exhibit are sponsored by universities, private foundations, and museums.
His children’s book Finders Keepers? has won six national book awards and has been translated into Spanish under the title ¿Es mío?
Arnett has lectured widely throughout America including the Smithsonian Institute, The Kennedy Center, Harvard, Yale, and Stanford Universities. He has been interviewed on National Public Radio, Voice of America, and various television programs. He was a speaker at the Parliament of the World Religions in Cape Town, South Africa.

Reviews

[Sandy · Rating 5 out of 5]

A delightful story that teaches as much about the Indian landscape as it does on the practices and values that are inherent in the culture. This is probably one of the best cultural teaching books I have had the opportunity to read to my children. Well done and well worth the read for anyone interested in teaching your children about India.

[Lyla · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was good. I have not read a lot of other books like it, but I enjoyed it.

[Chloe Terry]

This books is about a man from America who travels to India to learn about their culture. He stays at a Hindu monastery called an ashram. While he is there, he learns about the clothes they wear, their religion, how they interact in their daily life and developed a respect for their culture. During his journey, he loses his wallet. A young boy returns it and the man tries to repay him, but the boy will not except. The man is confused and asks another man to explain to him why the boy won't except his reward. The little boy explains that honesty shouldn't be rewarded, that it is a person's duty to always be honest. The man is amazed at his logic. He returns home and this moment stays with him. I would use this book for a first grade class or higher for two lessons. One lesson could be to teach students about the Indian culture. This book is from an American man's point of view. This is a neat way for students to learn about a culture, through a man who learned himself. The second lesson I would use it for would be about honesty. The young boy could have kept the wallet for himself, but he chose to do the right thing, without reward. I would teach students that we should always be honest like this.

[Shelina · Rating 5 out of 5]

The author describes his bus journey in India. At a stop he loses his wallet and is happy to have it returned by a small boy, who refuses a reward for his honesty. To the boy, getting a reward for doing the right thing was unthinkable.

This story is about the author who describes his bus journey in India. He does talk about Rajasthan, a state of India. He reveals the smallest details of his journey which an ordinary man can relate to. He talks about how people come together even if they are uncomfortable.The author looses his wallet and the young boy returns the lost wallet. He is been rewarded at the end for his honesty.The culture of India is depicted in the colorful pictures throughout the book. The daily life and people of India shine throughout the book.This book also emphasizes on moral values.This book can be added for children to experience how traveling in India by bus is so common. The glossary helps in learning few words of Hindi along with the pronunciations.The text and illustrations are very well balanced in the book.This book can help children learn universal values like honesty.

An excerpt from the book-"We quickly became like a big family traveling together."

[Roshini R. · Rating 4 out of 5]

This charming and beautifully illustrated tale is based on the author’s real life experience touring Rajasthan, India by bus. Each vignette reveals information about the people, their traditions, lifestyles, values, and religions. The book prompts those who step through the portal under the toran to seek the truth and do what is right. The highlight of the story is the young boy who refuses a reward upon returning the author’s wallet. He cannot understand why he should be rewarded for doing the right thing. This book is a wonderful guide to living in a multicultural world where everyone has to coexist. Students travel to India and learn about another culture without leaving the room. I like the fact that Arnett provides a glossary at the end for unfamiliar words he marks with an asterisk. He also provides pronunciations for unfamiliar vocabulary under the heading “Oh, See Can You Say.” Moreover, the Food for Thought section prompts children to think about doing the right thing and about responsibility. These themes are great for further exploration through discussion, research, and writing in the classroom.

[Emily Pinson · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is about the author, Robert Arnett, and his experiences in India. Through this book, we learn some traditions, certain lifestyles, and values of the people that live in India through his experience there.
I liked this book because you get to learn about a culture that you may not otherwise know about. In the dedication section, it states: this book is dedicated to the silent voice within each of us that prompts us to do what is right. I think there is something valuable in this book and although I randomly chose this book, I think there is a reason I did in today's world. A good reminder to treat everyone like a someone.
I do not think that this book is good for second graders, but upper elementary when you start bringing geography and culture into the curriculum. However, I may use this in my home with my future children to help them understand that even though some people are different on the outside, the inside is what really matters. Our differences aren't as different as we portray them.

[Nitza Campos · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was donated to all the libraries in the Arlington ISD by the Indian American Education Foundation (IAEF). Arnett, the author, went to India and dropped his wallet. A young boy returned the wallet to Arnett and would not accept a reward that Arnett was trying to give to him for being honest. The boy could not understand why he should be rewarded for returning a wallet that did not belong to him. A book about integrity, character, and doing what is right. I am grateful to the IAEF for their generosity and sharing this beautiful picture book with me and my students.

[Kim Heimbuch · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the Spanish version of "Finders Keeper" and the copy we own. It is an elaborately colorful true story based on a journey through India where the reader is exposed to the customs, traditions, and way of life for Indians. This book teaches us that there is a universal want and need of morals and ethics and the value of family and friends.It also includes a glossary and an exquisite craft to create your on toran; a decorative item placed in doorways and arches to add color and celebrate the day, season, festivities and more.

[Kelly · Rating 3 out of 5]

The ending felt abrupt to me, but I enjoyed the story, and the illustrations were rich and detailed. I'm unsure why the decision was made to include a table of contents in a book that really flowed quite well as a narrative. I also felt that the "Jog Your Memory" (the glossary) and "People, Places, and Things" (the index) sections could easily have been merged.

[Tessa · Rating 4 out of 5]

A fun read for our study of India! The illustrations were bright and true and the story was simple - a man's journey through parts of India and the people he meets. Information about the different religions and foods and modes of transport - made me want to visit!

[Kristina · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book is about a white mans trip to India. It is good for showing students another way of living but I wouldn't call it authentic multicultural literacy because the author is white.

[Sara · Rating 4 out of 5]

A children's book that I want to remember. A book about love, honesty and integrity through Hindu teachings.

[Amy · Rating 2 out of 5]

Might be good as a short read-aloud to introduce the country of India--has Indian words and describes Indian sights and aspects of culture.

[Jaime Grande · Rating 5 out of 5]

I truly enjoyed this story. A quick lesson on India culture and custom.

[Jesse Albers]

a boy who found the author's wallet and could not understand why he should be rewarded for returning to the author what was his

[Laura Filtness]

I can't wait for our Indian American students to see this book. It's going to be a great way for them to share their culture with us.

[Elizabeth Edwards · Rating 5 out of 5]

great illustrations, well done, colorful and bright. cheerful.

[Debrarian]

Dopey, unfocussed proselytizing story about the author’s trip to India.

[Miranda Parker]

This book is based out of India -a true story. It's about a boy who finds a wallet and has to decide if he wants to be honest and do the right thing and return it to his owner. I would read this book to my class when learning about honesty and the values of telling the truth. This book also shows how in India the culture is very different than it is in the United States.