Walker Oddly

When a little boy bursts into their world, three extraordinary creatures find answers to the questions that have been troubling them...Meet the Lostlet, twirling a golden leaf, and asking the questions: Where am I? What do I hope for? Meet the Stranglet, holding a smooth white pebble, asking: What am I? What do I dream of? Meet the Oddlet, listening intently to a pink seashell, asking: Who am I? What do I wish for? Lost in their own little worlds, the three creatures are powerless to find answers...until a little boy appears, asking the very same questions - and who seems even stranger, odder, and more lost than they. Offering comfort to the child, the Lostlet, the Strangelet and the Oddlet discover their hearts' deepest desires - and their new friend helps make their wishes and dreams come true. Editorial Reviews From School Library Journal Kindergarten-Grade 2-The Lostlet, the Strangelet, and the Oddlet are suffering identity crises, walking around in circles, puzzling over their existence. Along comes a boy who is lost himself. The three have apparently never seen a human before and huddle around the youngster as he cries and says he's run so far that he can't find his way back. He misses his home and his mother. 'I want some love,' he sobbed. The creatures have no concept of love. They offer up their prized possessions in hopes of comforting him. Their golden leaf, white pebble, and pink shell make him smile for the first time. When he hugs them, they declare that's what they've been longing for, and they change their names to Huglet, Snuglet, and Foundlet. They frolic and suddenly are home-in time for supper. The last picture shows the boy and the trio sitting around a table at a beach house with Mom in the background. The illustrations are the best part of this book. Benson's large, stylized pictures depict a beach and a forest of spiky blue cactuslike trees. The creatures are whimsical, but do not resemble any known animals. This is a book without an audience. The usual picture-book crowd is not big on existential angst, and the pictures are too childlike for kids old enough for such philosophical thoughts.-Ieva Bates, Ann Arbor District Library, MI Copyright å¨ Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title. Review "* "Patrick Benson's exquisite illustrations give enormous charm to this story about the big questions of life." Guardian"