Finn and Puss by Robert Vescio

Finn and Puss

Robert Vescio, Author

Melissa Mackie, Illustrator

EK Books, Fiction, Oct. 1, 2017

Suitable for Ages: 3-6

Themes: Animals, Lost cat, Loneliness, Friendship, Hope, Integrity

Opening: “This is Finn.  This is Puss”

Synopsis: Finn a young boy, is lonely. Puss, a cat, is lost. When the two meet on the street and Finn stoops down to scratch his ears, Finn isn’t lonely anymore.  Puss purrs and seems happy to be with Finn. When Finn sees a “Lost” picture of Puss taped to a building by the cat’s owners, he’s faced with a tough decision.  Will he do the right thing?

Why I like this book:

This is a sweet tale by Robert Vescio about a boy who finds a lost cat and makes a new friend. It explores the boy’s choices of ignoring the notice and keeping the cat, or doing the right thing and notifying the owner, who misses her cat. This is an important lesson children will face many times in their lives. It has difficult lessons about honesty and integrity. It is a good reason to start teaching this lesson to young children. There are heartwarming rewards when children learn to do the right thing.

Finn and Puss only has 80 words, so it is the perfect book for children learning to read independently on their own and for reluctant readers.

Melissa Mackie’s soft watercolor illustrations are expressive and really capture the dynamics of the story. I particularly like her use of white space because it symbolically sheds “light” on this story about building character.

Resources: This is an excellent discussion book for home and school. Ask children what they would do if were in Finn’s shoes? Would they want to keep the cat or return it to its sad owner. What would they do if found a toy that they knew belonged to a friend? What would they do if they saw a stranger drop money on the ground?

Robert Vescio is a full-time children’s author whose aim is to enthuse and inspire children to read and write and leave them bursting with imaginative ideas.

Every Friday, authors and KidLit bloggers post a favorite picture book. To see a complete listing of all the Perfect Picture Books (PPB) with resources, please visit author Susanna Leonard Hill’s website.

About Patricia Tiltonhttps://childrensbooksheal.wordpress.comI want "Children's Books Heal" to be a resource for parents, grandparents, teachers and school counselors. My goal is to share books on a wide range of topics that have a healing impact on children who are facing challenges in their lives. If you are looking for good books on grief, autism, visual and hearing impairments, special needs, diversity, bullying, military families and social justice issues, you've come to the right place. I also share books that encourage art, imagination and creativity. I am always searching for those special gems to share with you. If you have a suggestion, please let me know.

26 thoughts on “Finn and Puss by Robert Vescio”

  6. Aww, Patricia, what a sweet cover. My neighbors finally got their cat returned after 6 months, when it fell ill and the new “owners” took it to the vet. When its chip was discovered, my friend was called and reunited with her cat. The other family had to explain to their younger daughter. I am sure it was a difficult conversation. I can’t wait to read this book, but not at my library (yet).

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  9. I love the cover illustration & the story sounds like one I must read! Making the right choice is such a hard lesson & one that Finn & Puss seems to tackle well. Thanks for sharing!

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    • Thank you for visiting and leaving a comment. I really enjoyed your book and look forward to your future PBs. My review also appeared on Twitter, on my FB page, and LinkedIn. Couldn’t find a twitter handle for you, so I used EK Books.

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