#376 of 1001 · August 11, 2021

Loneliness—true, utter loneliness—is a prison. While escape may be difficult, all it takes is a single moment of possibility. For a touching example, take The House of Lost and Found by @martin.widmark and @emilia.dziubak. Niles lives alone. His wife has died and his children have moved. His house has fallen into disrepair. Even his cat has run away. All he has are his memories. One day, a neighbor boy knocks at the door; he and his family are about to leave for a vacation, and he wants Niles to take care of his potted plant, which has not yet sprouted. Unexpectedly, the plant’s presence sparks a new vitality in the old man, and he sets about cleaning and fixing up his house. His cat returns and his spirits brighten. By the time the boy returns, Niles is ready for friendship. Widmark’s prose, translated from Swedish by Polly Lawson, tells a story both tender and uplifting, bolstered by Dziubak’s rich, vivid colored-pencil artwork. #house #lost #found #plant #neighbors #loneliness #friendship #book #books #childrensbooks #beautifulbooks #picturebook #picturebooks #picturebookillustration #picturebookillustrations #picturebookart #childrensbookillustration #childrensliterature #illustration #kidlit #kidsbooks #bookworm #booklover #booklovers #bibliophile #bookstagram #bookstagrammer #bookstagrammers #instabook #instabooks