A Finder's Magic

by Philippa Pearce, Helen Craig (Illustrator)

A boy who loses his dog meets a mysterious stranger and has a surprising adventure in an enchanting tale from a stellar author-illustrator team.

When Till’s beloved dog slips its leash on their daily romp, the boy goes to bed in despair. But he wakes to meet Mr. Finder, an odd little man from his dream, who offers to help him retrieve the frisky pup. Together Till and Finder question some likely witnesses: a heron, a mole, a riddling cat, and two obliging old ladies, Miss Gammer and Miss Mousy. But Finder is a peculiar figure, given to disappearing suddenly, and Till starts to wonder: Can he be trusted? Part detective story, part fairy tale, A Finder’s Magic has mystery, darkness and light, and all the emotional truth that is a hallmark of Philippa Pearce’s writing.

Genres: Fantasy, Middle Grade, Childrens, Fiction, Animals, Dogs, Young Adult

128 pages, Hardcover

First published October 6, 2008

About the author

Philippa Pearce was an acclaimed English author of children’s literature, best remembered for her classic time-slip novel Tom’s Midnight Garden, which won the 1958 Carnegie Medal and remains a staple of British children’s fiction. Raised in Great Shelford, Cambridgeshire, in the Mill House by the River Cam, Pearce drew lifelong inspiration from her rural upbringing. Educated at the Perse School for Girls and Girton College, Cambridge, she studied English and History before working as a civil servant and later producing schools’ radio programmes for the BBC.
Her debut, Minnow on the Say (1955), inspired by local landscapes and a childhood canoe trip, was a Carnegie runner-up and later adapted for television. Tom’s Midnight Garden, also rooted in her childhood environment, became her most celebrated work, inspiring multiple adaptations for stage, screen, and television. Pearce went on to publish over thirty books, including A Dog So Small, The Squirrel Wife, The Battle of Bubble and Squeak, and The Way to Sattin Shore, with several earning further Carnegie commendations.
Married briefly to Martin Christie, with whom she had a daughter, Pearce returned to Great Shelford in 1973, where she lived until her death in 2006. Her legacy continues through the annual Philippa Pearce Lecture, celebrating excellence in children’s literature.

Reviews

[Christopher Newton · Rating 4 out of 5]

So nice to be back in Philippa Pearce's world again, if only for an hour. To me, Philippa is the Shakespeare of modern children's writing, and this little gem is her Tempest, her fond farewell. Bye, Philippa, and thanks for all the fish.

[Aneesa · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am so glad I picked up this magical book! Yes, the solution at the end is a bit abrupt, but the ambiguity, as another reviewer put it, of the mysterious man, along with how the neighbors immediately went along with the whole thing, made all the strangeness of this book make perfect sense. Plus I like how they applied their crossword solving skills.

Who are these children who have a famous children's author for one grandma and a famous children's illustrator for the other?!

[Caren · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a somewhat unusual little book. It is a very quick read and noteworthy for being the last book written by the respected British author, Philippa Pearce. Also of note is the fact that it was illustrated by her daughter's mother-in-law, Helen Craig, best known for illustrating the "Angelina Ballerina" books. Both grannies created the work with their mutual grandsons in mind, and, in fact, the main character's name is derived from an anagram of the grandsons' two names. After Ms. Pearce had completed the text, she passed away, never having seen the illustrations that so complement her work. The plot of the book recounts the search by Till, the protagonist, for his missing dog, Bess. He is aided by a strange little man who calls himself "a Finder".(It is quietly amusing that later in the book, his name is misunderstood to be 'Mr. Affeinder'.) Finder has some magical abilities, such as being able to indirectly communicate with animals. After they narrow the search to a meadow where Till and his dog customarily walked, they enlist the help of two elderly women who live there, Miss Gammer and Miss Mousy. Every problem is tied up in a satisfying way by the end of the book. It is a simple story that may appeal to early elementary age children.

[Capn · Rating 2 out of 5]

I wanted to love it, but I didn't. I wonder if maybe I needed more cultural context to fill in some gaps in the background. It ended as mysteriously as it began, and to me felt incomplete (there is a note from Pearce's daughter saying the author died soon after handing it to Craig, the other grandmother to her grandchildren, to illustrate. So perhaps it was a little rushed through, understandably!).

Pretty little sketched illustrations - probably a good book for early readers to self-navigate.

So... is a Finder something already existing in folklore? Or an invention of Pearce's? If the latter, I needed a lot more background... and closure... for this story to satisfy.

[Gwen · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is one I'll add to my "read a chapter book to younger kids" - I'd love to know what anyone else thinks. Sweet, with just a bit of magic.

[The Dusty Jacket · Rating 4 out of 5]

Till goes to bed in despair and wakes up desperate. So deep is his desperation that you can see it in his dreams. And one night, someone did see it. That someone is a Finder. A Finder that promises Till that he will help him find his beloved lost dog, Bess (for it is her absence that leads to all this unfortunate desperateness). But finding Bess isn’t easy. Clues need to be found, witnesses questioned, and leads followed. Leads that point to a stranger, a thin line of light, and a nursery rhyme.

This book has a rather interesting backstory. Pearce wrote this book for her two grandsons and it was illustrated by the children’s other grandmother, Helen Craig. The main character’s name is an anagram of the two grandson’s names put together (Nat and Will) giving us Tillawn or Till for short. Unfortunately, Pearce died before Craig began illustrating this book and was therefore deprived of seeing the beautiful book that their combined efforts produced.

Pearce gives young readers a wonderful tale of magic, mystery, and mischief. The story deals with issues of loss and trust and tackles both with charm and humor. After the book is finished, parents might want to remind their young reader that this is a fantasy book and, under ordinary circumstances, it is never appropriate to go running off with a stranger, especially one who offers to help you find your dog.

In the end, through all the questioning and searching and worrying, Finder gives Till something that replaces his desperation. He gives him hope and although it’s not what Till wants, it’s what he needs and at that moment, hope is enough.

[Patrick Jackson · Rating 4 out of 5]

from my 10 and 11yr olds

We enjoyed this, but it is plain weird. We laughed at it, not with it. The plot holes are the size of Jupiter, yet we go with them as the characters are so bizarre, we want to see what happens next. The illustrations are lovely, but confuse the story a little.

We got the impression this partly written and released on the author's death without due care to edit. There are too many unexplained incidents that really needed fleshed out.

One big plot spoiler THE FINDER HAS A BROTHER (who is never mentioned until the very end, when he plays a huge part in the story)

So yeah, more like a first rough draft of a book than a finished, edited classic.

[Kevin · Rating 3 out of 5]

Another library sale pick-up. I am a sucker for illustrated children's books. This one is a quirky story about a boy who lost his dog and meets a "Finder" who offers to help track down the stray pup. There is a bit of magic involved but it mostly is a the type of story a grandmother might tell her grandchildren. Which turns out to be the backstory of both the author and illustrator. Would make a great read aloud story for younger kids.

[Gabriella · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was highly recommended to me and I have to say I wasn't as enraptured as I had expected. I think the book's pace was quite slow and I think could have been done alot quicker. However I loved the illustrations that came with it I think it really made the book special. I also loved the sentiment of the dedication at the start of the book. I would recommend this book to children, however it wasn't the most exciting book but the mystery of the finder added intrigue to the plot.

[Rida Rehman · Rating 4 out of 5]

A beautiful eAudiobook we listened to as a family. My children made lots of speculation about where Bess might have gone and how Till can find her as we listened. Also we loved Bess' full name. The twist in the story was not too exciting however my boys didn't lose interest.

Stephanie Foxley has done a great job voicing all the characters, my children didn't believe it when I told them it's the same person reading the whole book lol.

[Hannah · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a sweet book, perfect for a read-aloud, short enough to be finished in one sitting. It was written by a grandmother for her grandsons and illustrated by their other grandmother. Plus, it's about a boy's love for his dog, and I'm always a sucker for dog books (especially when the dog doesn't die).

[CynthyB · Rating 3 out of 5]

A sweet story of a boy who has lost his dog, and the magical little man who helps him find her. One delightful thing about this story is that I found myself, along with the characters, pausing to consider simple things--such as the difference between the homophones "I" and "eye"--from different points of view.

[Chris Browning · Rating 4 out of 5]

I don’t know enough about Pearce and Craig to work out if Miss Gammers and Miss Mousy are meant to be stand ins for them, but the book seems to imply so quite heavily and as such even if the book is itself quite slight, the magic of their mutual love for each other and their shared grandchildren is there on every page. And I appreciate the magical Mr Affeinder’s ambiguity very much indeed

[Subashini · Rating 4 out of 5]

A little gem of a book. Magical, strange, altogether not the clinical and sanitised version of YA magic littering contemporary shelves. Leaves a lot to the imagination and I think children need that; to not have everything explained to them, and to be left with lingering questions and a sense of enchantment and wonder. The illustrations are so beautiful.

[Kluxorious Kluxces · Rating 3 out of 5]

I wasn't blown away by the story despite the amazing illustrations that accompany it. Even for a children's story I thought that it somewhat lack the gripping factor that can left a child in awe.

Story 2/5
Character 3/5
Development 3/5
Enjoyment 3/5
illustration 5/5
Overall 3.2/5

[Kalilah · Rating 4 out of 5]

More than the story, I absolutely adore the illustrations in this book, the colourless ones. They're lovely. I could stare at them all day.
The story is good too. Kind of a very short mystery.

[Jasen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Cute. My six-year old DNF but I enjoyed the story. Not worth a reread but a cute little story, especially with the writing snd drawing wrapped together between real
Life and story land

[Devahitsu1gmail.Com · Rating 5 out of 5]

good and great story, I really love the story.

[Roger · Rating 4 out of 5]

A witch’s cat, a dog with a secret name, and a boy named Till. 3.5 stars!

[Charlotte · Rating 3 out of 5]

sweet but nothing more. Perhaps if I were a dog person I would up this to "very sweet." But I am not.

[Cathán · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.75 🌟

[Becky · Rating 2 out of 5]

When a boy loses his dog in a meadow, a magical quest is the result when a strange old man calling himself a 'Finder' shows up to comfort the boy. Together the old man and the young boy will use 'magic' to discover just what happened to the dog. The magic includes using one of the muddy toys belonging to the dog. The Finder allegedly embeds a message within the toy and when it is thrown at various animals, the finder can 'hear' from the animals in question. (Another example, the boy shoves the muddy toy down into a mole hole and waits for the mole's response.) Not learning much from the birds, only learning the slightest from the mole, they seek a cat--a former familiar from a witch--for further clues. This leads to a riddle of sorts. But it is when they seek information from human witnesses that things begin to move along.

For me, this one was a dull book. I wanted to like this book. I just couldn't make myself feel it. The book is the last one written by Philippa Pearce. And the book was written for two of her grandchildren. It is even illustrated by her grandkids' other grandmother, Helen Craig. It was a heart-felt project, inspired by love. And I wanted to connect with it. It just didn't happen. I do think that others might like it more than I did.

[Klux · Rating 3 out of 5]

Reread this and I think I enjoyed it a bit more the second time around.

This is an enchanting tale about love and magic. A boy named Till lost his dog, Bess, and was so heartbroken, an odd little man who is a Finder, came to the rescue. So the two of them went on a quest, finding clues through the animal using Finder's magic and solving puzzles. As it turned out, it was Finder's twin, Finder Keeper, who took Bess. With a bit of barter, Till managed to get his beloved Bess back.

My personal thoughts:

× I still wasn't blown away by the story but I appreciate the small details more, such as Finder talking to the animals through mudman.

× this story, although seemingly understated, it promotes perseverence.

× I adore the amazing illustrations that accompany it.

× I have to mention that this book is hardcover and they used a very good quality paper for it. I think it's 160gsm. Smooth like butter.

× Philippa Pearce wrote this for her two grandchildren. She wanted the other grandmother to illustrate it but just as Helen started, Philippa past away. So I guess that explains why the book feels like a keepsake that I want to pass down to my grandchildren as well.

Story 3/5
Characters 3/5
Development 3/5
Enjoyment 3/5
Illustrations 5/5
Overall 3.4/5

[Kailey (Luminous Libro) · Rating 5 out of 5]

A charming little story of a boy's search for his lost dog! With the help of a mysterious old man, he interviews various animals, including a bad-tempered cat, and pieces together the mystery of his dog's disappearance.
This short book has all the magic and charm I've come to expect from the author, with her own blend of delightful writing. Every word is crisp and cool, or warm and honey on your tongue. The smallest, most everyday things take on a glow when this author brings her writer's magic to them.

The sketches are lovely and fit perfectly with the story. The whole thing reminds me strongly of Beatrix Potter! This would be a great book to read aloud!

[Miss Ryoko · Rating 3 out of 5]

Actual rating: 3.5

I really liked this book. I wasn't sure how I'd feel about it, but it was nicely written that had a basic but interesting storyline. It flowed nicely and nothing seemed like it was taking too long or moving too fast. I really appreciated the dialogue. This was a story that was taking place not so long ago, but the rich dialogue made it seem so old. I really loved that aspect of this book!

It is a super quick, easy read. I enjoyed it, and I hope to use it at school some day!

[Susan Modak · Rating 3 out of 5]

Love, love the Helen Craig drawings. Story, not super but I did read through it. Interesting that the two famous granma's planned to respectively write and illustrate a story for their common grandsons and part of that arrangement is worked into the story. PP died after writing but before the book was published.

[Lyn · Rating 2 out of 5]

Nice illustrations in this book about a lost dog and a magical old bloke, a "finder", who helps a boy find the dog. Unfortunately the book didn't really grab the imagination of me, the reader, or the audience of 8 year olds; it was just a bit silly at times and somehow lacked the ability to take us into the imaginative realm, so the adventure just seemed a bit preposterous and unlikely.

[Sara · Rating 4 out of 5]

I loved this quirky, hard-to-define tale. Pearce's classic, Tom's Midnight Garden has always been a favorite of mine, and it was fascinating to discover that A Finder's Magic was published two years after Pearce's death, dedicated to her two grandsons, and with illustrations done by Helen Craig, her grandson's other grandmother!

This is a sweet story, with many layers.

[Christina · Rating 3 out of 5]

Gentle fantasy about a lost dog and the supernatural 'finder' who helps return him to the distraught boy who lost him. Will make a wonderful read aloud to 4 or 5 year old, or for that 6 year old who can read at an advanced level.

[Patrick · Rating 3 out of 5]

I liked the book, it was intriguing. I had hoped for a little more insight at the end. I won't spoil it. It definitely had a magical feel to it and it kept one guessing all the way through. I think it could have finished stronger but it was a nice read.