By Tom Percival.
There are few things as upsetting for a child as losing their favourite toy and this book deals with just that. Sofia’s favourite teddy gets left behind after a day at the beach. Nobody noticed except the sea who ’saw’. This clever twist is not the only one in the book as an attempt to reunite the teddy with Sofia gets under way.
It all leads up to an emotive tug at the end which is one of the most moving things I’ve seen in a children’s picture book and took me a bit by surprise.
The illustrations are first rate with multiple techniques being used to create some gloriously textured collage type imagery.
This is a very well thought through story and I wasn’t expecting it to be as powerful as it was. It has a bitter sweet edge but I would highly recommend it.