Finding François
A Story about the Healing Power of Friendship
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- $9.99
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- $9.99
Publisher Description
For fans of The Rough Patch, A Sick Day for Amos McGee, and In a Jar comes a tender and gently adventurous gem about the power of friends to soothe aches big and small.
Alice, a little piglet, loves life with her grandmother, making lists and crème brûlée, organizing buttons, and taking walks. Still, Alice wishes she had a sister—or even a brother. So, she does the sensible thing: She writes a note ("Hello! I am Alice"), tucks it into a bottle, and tosses it into the river, where it drifts out to sea, is captured by an octopus, picked up by a seagull, and arrives at a faraway lighthouse. There, François, a little dog, lives with his dad. François is everything Alice could wish for in a friend, and soon the seas are busy with their bottled correspondence. But when a big change comes, and Alice can't bring herself to write François more letters, will the simple comforts of time, love, and friendship restore the light to Alice's life?
In this marvelous, gently funny and reassuring tale, the lucky and lovely friendship between Alice and François spans the length of the River Seine and the loss of a loved one. Award-winning author and artist Gus Gordon captures the highs and lows of being little, and tenderly shepherds kids on a journey full of fantastic possibilities, friendship, and healing.
* "Reminiscent of William Steig . . . Will warm hearts and minds with each reading." --Kirkus (starred review)
"[A book] to help kids navigate life." —HuffPost
* "Endearing . . . Expressive . . . Heartening . . . Memorable" —Booklist (starred review)
"Joyful [and] contemplative. [A] timely message that friendships can be maintained over distance and time." —BCCB
"Triumphant, [with] gentle tongue-in-cheek humor [amid a] central theme of enduring love." —PW
"Charming. [A] soothing, kid-friendly approach to life after loss." —SLJ
"Earnest and playful . . . tender and inviting." —The Horn Book
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
This fantasy by Gordon (The Perfect Seat) offers a heady mix of Parisian bonhomie and mysteriously conveyed messages. Alice, a small pink pig, quite enjoys living with her grandmother, especially when they cook together: "You are a marvel!" her grandmother tells her. Though Alice loves life's small pleasures watercolor-and-pencil drawings in milky hues show Alice getting a special gift from Miss Cl ment's dress shop she longs for a friend her own age. She stuffs a note into a bottle and tosses it into the river, where it's carried to Fran ois, a young dog who lives in a lighthouse. Letters shuttle back and forth as a friendship blooms. Then "Alice's grandmother was gone," her chair empty, and grief overcomes the young pig. "Maybe Alice has forgotten me," Fran ois muses. She hasn't; her new guardian, Miss Cl ment, arranges a triumphant meeting. Gordon's story is leavened throughout with gentle, tongue-in-cheek humor ("Where are you?" Fran ois writes; "What a good question," Alice thinks, "I am.../ ...over here"). A jumble of whimsical details (the saga of the bottle's ocean journey, Fran ois's hobbies) at times distract from the central theme of enduring love, but it's there amid the diversions. Ages 4 8.
