Lost

A child whose orange cat has gone missing distributes homemade “LOST” signs around the neighborhood in this largely wordless picture book. Along the way, the protagonist finds myriad supporters, including others saddened by their own respective pets’ disappearances. In a series of flashbacks, Staake (The Path) shows how a mail carrier’s green bird scrammed out the window, a bench-sitter’s blue dog slipped under the front gate, and a grocery shopper’s giraffe—a sly and wonderful stretch of credulity—simply walked over the garden wall. The bereft owners each wave farewell to the child, whose lunch soon offers connection to the dog and bird. As the youth distributes “FOUND” posters for those animals, another serendipitous encounter leads to the missing kitty—and brings the giraffe out of hiding. This zippy panel-style tale in the creator’s shape-based aesthetic brims with eclectic characters (a devil-may-care bird with a single curlicue on its head, an engaging background cast in b&w) as well as good vibes about connection and caring in a universe where all’s well that ends well. Human caregivers are portrayed with a range of skin tones, some fanciful. Ages 3–7. Agent: Gillian MacKenzie, Gillian MacKenzie Agency. (Oct.)