Found Objects

To a child, treasure is the most wonderful thing.  On a typical day walking around your own neighbourhood your little one might find pockets and pockets of treasure to bring home to share.  An interesting leaf here, a shiny stone there, an acorn under, a feather over, all of these things are treasures to eyes full of wonder. In the magical book Treasure by Mireille Messier and Irene Luxbacher we meet a couple of siblings out on a treasure hunt.  They make their way through the backcountry and through the woods to find the elusive treasure. According to the big sister something is only treasure if it is shiny, mysterious, and precious and she is the ultimate judge of whether an object meets all the criteria.  On their treasure hunt they find many things, many things that fit perfectly into little pockets but don’t quite qualify as treasure. Finally, they discover the most wonderful treasure, it checks every box but just can’t be kept in a pocket.

If you are a fan of Marie-Louise Gay’s Stella and Sam series you will really enjoy this lovely little story by Mireille Messier.  It has a very similar vibe with the big sister helping the little brother navigate the world. Irene Luxbacher’s illustrations are inviting, brilliant and eye catching. You will want to bring out this wonderful story again and again just to see if you can pick up more details and interesting objects (treasures!) in her illustrations.