All the Lost Things by Kelly Canby

One day Olive comes across a place in the city where an old lady keeps all the lost things safe. There are many trivial things like pencils, hair clips, and bus passes, but more importantly, there are things that hold much more value such as courage, will power, and dreams. Olive decides to take five jars and fill them with these lost things to share with her family, but also the people in her city.

All the Lost Things is a wonderful mentor text to use to talk about concrete vs. abstract and how we can lose things that aren't necessarily tangible. It is also a nice reminder to kids and adults alike that the important things in our lives aren't necessarily things that you can touch or hold in your hand, but ideas that keep our souls and spirits going. There are so many great picture books that would pair beautifully with All the Lost Things, such as:

The Most Magnificent Thing by Ashley Spires
Something Extraordinary by Ben Clanton
The Man with the Violin by Kathy Stinson, illustrated by Dusan Petricic
This is Sadie by Sara O'Leary, illustrated by Julie Morstad
Float by Daniel Miyares
What Do You Do with an Idea? by Kobi Yamada



All the Lost Things by Kelly Canby
Published: April 20, 2015
Publisher: Peter Pauper Press
Pages: 32
Format: Picture Book
Audience: Primary/Middle Grade
Disclosure: Finished copy provided by publisher

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