- Picture Books
- Ages 3–7
- Everyday Life
Lost
A tender, funny picture book about a very lost polar bear adrift in a busy city, and the small girl who is the only one to stop, notice him and help him find his way home.
- Best for3–7
- FormatPicture
- Length40 pp
- Read aloud~8 min
The vibe
What it’s like.
Style
- Conversational
- Comedic
Tone
- Warm
- Gentle
- Heartwarming
- Whimsical
Themes
Experience meters
What’s it about?
The story.
A polar bear is lost in a big grey city. Politely, he asks the hurrying city folk for help — but everyone is far too busy and important to notice a bewildered newcomer, and he finds himself carried along on the rush-hour subway, more homesick by the minute. Then a little girl takes his enormous paw and quietly takes him under her wing: she feeds him, gives him a bath, reads him bedtime stories, all under her seemingly oblivious mum's nose. And when she spots him gazing at the poster of the North Pole on her wall, she understands what her big friend really needs. Mariajo Ilustrajo's warm, comic illustrations and gentle, near-wordless storytelling make a lovely book about kindness to strangers, homesickness and the quiet power of a child who simply pays attention. A charming, feel-good read with a big heart and plenty of visual jokes to spot.
Fit check
Right for your child?
Where it lands by age
A near-wordless read-aloud best shared with 3-to-7s, with visual jokes for the adult too. Readers of 5 to 8 can follow it alone. Gentle, cosy and low-peril — very safe for sensitive children.
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- 3
- 5
- 7
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- 11
- 13
- Best fit · 3–7
- Read aloud · 3–7
- Independent · 5–8
Prose load
Minimal
Visual support
Very high
Reluctant-reader friendly
Very
Read-aloud quality
Strong
Works well for
- Reading aloud
- Bedtime
- Reading together
- Gift-buying
- Reluctant readers
Nothing in the book is likely to concern most parents. Safe to recommend without preview.
Bedtime suitability
4 / 5 · Bedtime-friendly
Sensitive-child
5 / 5 · Good fit
Graphic intensity
1 / 5 · None
Best for
- Kindness
- Feel good
- Animals
- Read aloud
Avoid if
- Wants action adventure
- Wants lots of text
Particularly good for children who are…
- Making friends
Why it lands
Why they love it.
Why kids love it
Children adore the secret of the little girl caring for a giant polar bear right under her mum's nose — bathing him, feeding him, reading him stories. It's funny and cosy at once, and the busy city pictures are full of details to hunt for on every page.
- Animal companions
- Friendship and belonging
- Making a difference
Why parents love it
A gentle, near-wordless charmer about noticing the people (and polar bears) everyone else is too busy to see. Ilustrajo's comic art rewards slow looking, and the message about kindness to strangers is warm rather than worthy. Lovely, giftable and endlessly rereadable.
- Beautiful illustrations
- Conversation starter
- Indie gem discovery
About the author & illustrator
Mariajo Ilustrajo.
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