A Finder's Magic

A boy who loses his dog meets a mysterious stranger and has a surprising adventure in an enchanting tale from a stellar author-illustrator team.

When Till’s beloved dog slips its leash on their daily romp, the boy goes to bed in despair. But he wakes to meet Mr. Finder, an odd little man from his dream, who offers to help him retrieve the frisky pup. Together Till and Finder question some likely witnesses: a heron, a mole, a riddling cat, and two obliging old ladies, Miss Gammer and Miss Mousy. But Finder is a peculiar figure, given to disappearing suddenly, and Till starts to wonder: Can he be trusted? Part detective story, part fairy tale, A Finder’s Magic has mystery, darkness and light, and all the emotional truth that is a hallmark of Philippa Pearce’s writing.

Philippa Pearce is one of the twentieth century’s greatest children’s writers. Her books include Tom’s Midnight Garden, winner of the Carnegie Medal; The Battle of Bubble and Squeak; and The Squirrel Wife. A Finder’s Magic, the last book she wrote before she died in 2006, was created for her two grandsons, to be illustrated by their other grandmother, Helen Craig.

Helen Craig is the widely acclaimed illustrator of such children’s books as This Is the Bear, One Windy Wednesday, and the hugely popular Angelina Ballerina stories. She lives in England.