Red Ted and the Lost Things by Michael Rosen illustrated by Joel Stewart

Red Ted is left behind on the train and so inevitably he ends up in the lost property office which is has shelves filled to the ceiling with hundreds of lost toys. Red Ted is placed on a shelf beside a green crocodile. The green crocodile toy has been lost for so long he has forgotten the name of the child who used to own him. But Red Ted remembers Stevie and he is certain she will be desperate without him, so he hatches a plan to escape. Naturally, Green Crocodile decides to join him in the search.

The pair have one important clue which might help them find Stevie. She loves cheese and Red Ted smells like cheese. The pair of intrepid adventurers meet a huge cat and by coincidence she also loves cheese. She can smell these flavours on Red Ted and she is sure she knows exactly where to find this delicious cheese. And yes, the cat does find Stevie's house but she is not home! This is a wonderful wordless page which is sure to make your young reading companions gasp. Luckily this book is by the wonderful Michael Rosen and so you are in safe hands - a happy ending is just around the corner (or just over the page). 

This book will be a terrific way to introduce your young reading companion to the way graphic novels are presented. With an older group you could also introduce the idea of a story map or graph as a way to depict the highs and lows of this narrative. Here are some discussion questions from the Philosophy Foundation. This book is from 2009 so it is sadly out of print but I found a copy in a public library here in Sydney so you might be lucky and find it in your own school or community library. 

Stewart’s dense environments, filled with texture and intricate details, create a rich world for Rosen’s heroes, and his use of graphic novel–type panels offers a good introduction to sequential-image storytelling. A satisfying tale for all involved, from the adopted crocodile, satiated cat and found teddy bear to the readers who will delight in this sweet adventure. Kirkus

Companion read:

The Lost Property Office

Eight

Finding Monkey Moon

Here Comes the Cat! by Vladimir Vagin and Frank Asch

In a peaceful mouse village, the lookout mouse is alarmed to see the approaching shadow of a large cat. He races through the town, alerting every resident. The cat, however, has harmless intentions. A gift of cheese to the mice helps a friendship develop between two very different kinds of creatures. 

American author Frank Asch met Russian author Vladimir Vagin in 1986 at the Soviet American children's book symposium. Frank Asch had a dream that became the idea for Here comes the Cat! I picked this book up in the library of a friend a few weeks ago. She has a brilliant Toon selection and this book caught my eye because I adore Frank Asch. (Moon Bear series and Mr Maxwell's Mouse).

There are only four words in this book:

here; comes; the; cat (and) !

We watch as the message is passed from one mouse citizen to another. Using a train, hot air balloon, bicycle and even underwater the important message is shared in English and Russian:

СЮДА ИДЕТ КОТ

In her School Library Journal review Elizabeth Bird suggests this is actually a book about the cold war but I just read it as a simple tale of anticipation and perspective. If you can find this book I found a set of interesting philosophical questions which you could use with a senior Primary class. One interesting thing I discovered. When I used a translation site to find the Russian script I discovered the title should read Here Comes a Cat! This difference could lead to an interesting discussion with your class.

The illustrations in this hardcover book are lovely and timeless; wall worthy, really.  Luckily, its dust jacket unfolds into a giant poster featuring a beautiful image from the book. In the Know Mom

Funny, whip-smart, and illustrated in mesmerising detail, Here Comes the Cat! is a parable about fear, more relevant than ever, that follows in the great tradition of Chicken Little. Book Depository

Here comes the Cat is out of print but Weston Woods made a delightful animation of the story. Here are some other books (all out of print) illustrated by Vladimir Vagin who now lives in America. 

Frank Asch books:

Anatole by Eve Titus illustrated by Paul Galdone

Anatole (1956) is a classic children's picture book. It received a Caldecott Honor in 1957. I wonder why I had not read it until this week? I have discovered there were originally ten Anatole adventures. I found a little film from the 1960s of Anatole.  Paul Galdone illustrated hundreds of picture books. You can see some of them here. He died in 1986. Eve Titus (1922-2002) is the author of another junior chapter book series with eight titles - Great Mouse Detective.

About Anatole:

Anatole overhears some people talking about mice. They are considered dirty and are despised. Anatole thinks of the perfect solution - a way to reverse this negative opinion of mice. He makes some small signs and visits the Duval Cheese Factory.

Anatole has appointed himself as the chief cheese taster. He is a mouse after all and therefore he is an expert on the subject of cheese. The factory adopt Anatole's suggestions and the cheese factory business booms. M'sieu wants to thank Anatole. Of course Anatole knows his identity must remain a secret. M'sieu write a letter to Anatole:

"Whoever you are, it is clear that you love cheese greatly. Please help yourself to all the cheese you like, as often as you like. ...
Anatole - we salute You! 
From now on we shall think of you fondly as:
FIRST VICE PRESIDENT IN CHARGE OF CHEESE-TASTING!"

I smiled from start to finish reading this book. No wonder it is still in print over sixty years since it was first published.

I would pair Anatole with two other very old books which sadly are long out of print - Aktil's Big Swim and Aktil's Bicycle Ride by Inga Moore. Older children might like to compare Anatole with Letters from A. Mouse by Herbie Brennan.