Size: 16 x 23 cm
Russell Hoban's moving, unflinching tale of a boy who finds bravery during illness is reimagined in graphic-novel format with art by Alexis Deacon.
Asleep in his hospital bed, Jim dreams of a great lion with white teeth and amber eyes. This lion is Jim's finder. According to Nurse Bami, everyone has a finder, a creature who comes looking for us when we are lost. But when the time comes for Jim's operation, will his lion be able to find him and bring him safely home? Dramatically reimagined as a graphic novel by award-winning illustrator Alexis Deacon, with the inclusion of powerful dream sequences, Russell Hoban's tale of a boy's search for strength and courage will resonate with any child dealing with adversity.
Reviews
Dramatic... Wordless dream (or more accurately, nightmare) sequences presented in panels make up more than half the pages, expanding the vision and intensifying the impact of Hoban's words. ... The spare, low-key telling heightens the paintings' emotional heft. ... This ... inventive work is most likely to be appreciated for its artistic vision
— Kirkus Reviews
This is a spare allegory, and Deacon's illustrations complement and extend the brief text. ... The art highlights the feverish terror of Jim's dreams... Sophisticated art... The unique story and remarkable art warrant this a place in library collections
—School Library Journal
The intensity of the imagery calls to mind the respect afforded to children's emotional capacities found in Shaun Tan's "The Red Tree." ... Just what the doctor ordered for children with vivid imaginations facing their own traumatic ordeals.
—Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books