On a recent vacation to New York City, my family and I roamed into a Brooklyn bookstore, Books Are Magic. While perusing the Children's section, I stumbled upon a brilliant seek-and-find book, The Lost Cousins, by a local, B.B. Cronin. (Of course, I got way too excited that the author-illustrator had the same last name as me). Every single page of the book was decorated with vivid, intricate illustrations and the most endearing characters. I was immediately hooked!
After doing a little research on the flight home, I discovered that there is a whole series of Lost books! Each one follows Grandad and his two grandkids, Tate and Esme, as they embark on different adventures and backtrack to find all of the treasures they dropped along the way. Readers are invited to help recover the family's trinkets, snacks, and even their long-lost cousins! These seek-and-finds are just elusive enough for an adult to overlook, but certainly still accessible for little ones with a good eye.
The first in the series, The Lost House, was published in 2016. I'd consider this the most challenging seek-and-find in the series. Grandad has promised to take Esme and Tate to the park, but the three cannot leave until he finds his socks, shoes, glasses, umbrella, and bow tie! Readers peek into the psychedelic monochrome rooms of Grandad's house, where a great deal of his most vital possessions are scattered in with the myriad messes!
The second in the series, this story chronicles the journey from Grandad's house to the Picnic Grounds, where the family has decided to have a great picnic. Grandad and the grandkids pack a scrumptious feast for three, strap it to the roof of the car, and hit the road! The temptation of grabbing a morsel from the basket lingers in the mind of the narrator, yet the trio makes it to the grounds without once stopping to snack! There is a catch, however...read and find out!
This story begins when the grandkids find Grandad looking at a photo album in the park. He tells them that they have four long-lost cousins scattered about the globe! The grandkids convince him to take them on a grand voyage to find the cousins and reunite, and he happily obliges. Traveling over diverse landscapes in planes, trains, and boats, the family searches for each cousin (with a little help from the reader)! Once the cousins are finally together, Grandad takes a well-deserved nap while they all catch up. They agree to come back with Esme and Tate, but first, everyone must work together to recollect all the odds and ends that fell off of the moving automobiles!
I hope you enjoyed this showcase of the magical B.B. Cronin seek-and-find books! Now, feel free to go and check them out from the Nashville Public Library. We have all four in the series, and are on the edge of our seats waiting for the next Lost release! The richly painted worlds of the family and the engaging, puzzly format of this series are sure to entertain any young reader for hours on end.
