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Gustav Is Missing!: A Tale of Friendship and Bravery

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Gustav Is Missing!: A Tale of Friendship and Bravery

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Hardcover
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Overview

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What would possibly happen when Little Cap, the mushroom, begins a quest to find his missing pet slug, Gustav? The value of true friendship and valor is on the display in this quirky, wholesome adventure by author-illustrator Andrea Zuill. In the spirit of Knight Owl (Christopher Denise), I'm Not Scared You're Scared (Seth Meyers) and Ozzie & Prince Zebedee (Gela Kalaitzidis), Gustav is Missing feels like an instant classic that charms on every page.

From the author of Sweety comes a heartwarming story of friendship and bravery, featuring a little mushroom who sets off into the scary world to find his missing pet slug.

Oh, no! When mushroom boy Little Cap's pet slug, Gustav, goes missing, Little Cap is beside himself. How can he summon the courage to leave his cozy home to find him? But summon he does. There are many suspicious characters just outside his door and—gasp!—he has to talk to his neighbors, but Little Cap can't be stopped.

After much perilous searching—up sheer cliffs and into deep canyons and even stepping in something really, really gross—Little Cap finally finds his very best friend, and he's changed for the better along the way. Here is a story that celebrates friendship, perseverance, and bravery, told with Andrea Zuill's signature heart and humor.

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About the Author

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780593487471
Publisher:	Random House Children's Books
Publication date:	04/11/2023
Pages:	40
Sales rank:	28,456
Product dimensions:	8.70(w) x 11.10(h) x 0.60(d)
Lexile:	AD430L (what's this?)
Age Range:	4 - 8 Years

About the Author

ANDREA ZUILL is the author-illustrator of Regina Is NOT a Little Dinosaur, an Indie Next List selection; Sweety, a Booklist Best Book of the Year; and Wolf Camp, a Children’s Choice Award finalist. She is also the creator of Business Pig, Dance Is for Everyone, and Marigold & Daisy. Andrea is the illustrator of Cat Dog Dog by Nelly Buchet, an American Library Association Notable Book, which was called "a clever, winning read-aloud for modern families" in a starred review from Kirkus Reviews. Her work has been exhibited in galleries in California, Texas, and New York.

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02/06/2023
Shown wearing overalls and big spectacles, Little Cap is an adorably grave-looking red-capped mushroom who believes that the outside world is “chaos.” Emotionally honest vignettes show him knocked flat by cries of “SURPRISE!” and distrustful of various anthropomorphized animals and vegetables. The one place where Little Cap feels safe is the snug, cozily appointed cottage he shares with pet slug Gustav. But when Gustav nudges past the front gate and disappears, Little Cap must go forth to find him. Slowly, the protagonist gathers a critical mass of helpers, and what he perceives as a physically challenging landscape yields to a little grit and bravery. Back home with Gustav (revealed by a fellow slug as snoozing on a rock), Little Cap feels more open and connected, becoming something of a raconteur and embracing new adventures. Elegant, digitally colored ink illustrations from Zuill (Donut) provide plenty of quirky details while remaining deeply sympathetic to the story’s offbeat protagonist, which makes his newfound, internally identified confidence endearing and inspiring. Ages 4–8. (Apr.)

Publishers Weekly

Elegant, digitally colored ink illustrations from Zuill (Donut) provide plenty of quirky details while remaining deeply sympathetic to the story’s offbeat protagonist, which makes his newfound, internally identified confidence endearing and inspiring.” —Publishers Weekly

“A delightful, sharply observed tale about friendship and taking those first tentative steps toward independence.” —Kirkus Reviews

“Read this picture book to kids not ready to take on The Hobbit just yet.” —The Bulletin

“Zuill’s gentle adventure highlights how monumental stepping outside of one’s comfort zone is and how doing so can come with unforeseen rewards.” —Booklist

From the Publisher

2022-12-24
What wouldn’t you do for your bestie?
Little Cap, a small mushroom with a spotted red cap and oversized round spectacles, lives a cozy life with Gustav, his slug BFF. One day, Gustav goes missing when the gate around their house is somehow left open. Distraught—and very timid—Little Cap resolves to do whatever it takes to find him. Worrying about Gustav’s fate, he ventures out and musters the courage to talk to neighbors, and his fears hasten him over rough terrain and unfamiliar landscapes. Finally, he locates Gustav among a colorful assemblage of slugs. After their joyful reunion, they return home and resume former activities. Not so fast, though: Little Cap has changed. He’s grown in life experience, courage, self-confidence, and sociability. He now loves recounting stories of his exploits to neighbors and realizes he wants to have new ones with Gustav. This very sweet, quietly told story will help children understand it’s OK to make small forays out of one’s comfort zone to make new discoveries—especially about oneself—and that it’s most rewarding to have adventures with a friend. The rich, warm, ink-drawn, digitally colored illustrations wonderfully capture the protagonists’ textured natural surroundings. Readers can seek out Gustav in the endpapers. (This book was reviewed digitally.)
A delightful, sharply observed tale about friendship and taking those first tentative steps toward independence. (Picture book. 4-7)

Kirkus Reviews

Gustav Is Missing!: A Tale of Friendship and Bravery

Gustav Is Missing!: A Tale of Friendship and Bravery

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