Lost and Found Cat: The True Story of Kunkush's Incredible Journey
Lost and Found Cat: The True Story of Kunkush's Incredible Journey book cover

Lost and Found Cat: The True Story of Kunkush's Incredible Journey

Hardcover – Picture Book, January 31, 2017

Price
$17.99
Format
Hardcover
Pages
48
Publisher
Crown Books for Young Readers
Publication Date
ISBN-13
978-1524715472
Dimensions
9.38 x 0.35 x 10.31 inches
Weight
14.8 ounces

Description

“Bound to be a hit with cats and kids alike , this picture book tells the harrowing story of a cat who was separated from his family when they fled from Iraq and the amazing way he found his way home again .”xa0—People.com“A meaningful message of love and loss , of empathy and outreach , and ultimately, at its core, of compassion , grace and kindness.” — The Sag Harbor Express Amy Shrodes and Doug Kuntz felt compelled to travel to Greece to help with the refugee crisis, each in their own unique way—Amy as a volunteer helping the arriving refugees and raising awareness back at home through a podcast,xa0and Doug as a photojournalist, who spent five months in Greece, Turkey, France, Germany, and finally Norway, bringing the plight of the refugees to people around the globe. When they met Kunkush, they knew he was very special to someone and they wanted to do everything they could to reunite him with his family. Sue Cornelison graduated with a BFA from Drake University and continued her studies at the International School of Studio Arts in Florence, Italy. Sue has worked as a full-time illustrator for over a decade. She wrote and illustrated The Twelve Days of Christmas in Iowa , as well as illustrated Sofia’s Dream , Down by the Bay , You’re Wearing That to School?!, and the American Girl Bitty Baby series. Sue works in her backyard treetop studio in a renovated 1909 carriage house in rural Iowa.

Features & Highlights

  • This heartwarming true story of one lost cat's journey to be reunited with his refugee family gently introduces children to a difficult topic and shows how ordinary people can help with compassion and hope.
  • When an Iraqi family is forced to flee their home, they can’t bear to leave their beloved cat, Kunkush, behind. So they carry him with them from Iraq to Greece, keeping their secret passenger hidden away.   But during the crowded boat crossing to Greece, his carrier breaks and the frightened cat runs from the chaos, disappearing. After an unsuccessful search, his family has to continue their journey, leaving brokenhearted.   A few days later, aid workers in Greece find the lost cat. Knowing how much his family has sacrificed already, they are desperate to reunite them. A worldwide community comes together to spread the word on the Internet and in the news media, and after several months the impossible happens—Kunkush’s family is found, and they finally get their happy ending in their new home.   This remarkable true story is told by the real people involved, with the full cooperation of Kunkush’s family.“Bound to be
  • a hit with cats and kids alike
  • .” —People.com

Customer Reviews

Rating Breakdown

★★★★★
60%
(146)
★★★★
25%
(61)
★★★
15%
(37)
★★
7%
(17)
-7%
(-17)

Most Helpful Reviews

✓ Verified Purchase

Wonderful, moving children's story about a difficult topic

Reading this book to my seven year old daughter was such an amazing experience for me - watching her emotions as she cycled through curiosity, concern, fear, and finally tearful relief at the happy ending. We both loved the real photos depicting Kunkush and his family at the end of the book, it made it that much more poignant for my daughter to see the characters "come to life". If you are looking for a profoundly affecting story to build a sense of empathy in your child, you have found it.
19 people found this helpful
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Buy one for someone you care about it, and then one to share.

I have bought and given away 6 copies of this book already, and I hope to give more. This book is very sweet and tells a refugee story centered around a cat and a family that loves it. For me, buying copies of this book and giving them away is a great way to teach tolerance and help to educate kids about the refugee crisis.
8 people found this helpful
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Lesson in Multiculturalism Via Universally beloved cat theme.

Purchased for my 6-yr old daughter who loves cats. I wanted her to learn about the struggles of others and I had hoped that her love of cats would help her identify with the family in the story. Worked great. Prompted questions and engaged her in events outside her worldview.
5 people found this helpful
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GREAT BOOK for all ages!

This is the true story of a refugee family fleeing their country because of a war. Although the story mainly follows the cat, the story is very relatable for kids (a time when you felt scared, alone, got help from someone, etc). I have read this with my classroom of third graders and with my family. Everyone loved it! The kids keep asking to read it over again that I bought another 2 copies for the library! Everyone loves the real photos that are included on the last couple pages of the family and their cat, but (spoiler alert) the best part is the reunion in the end.
4 people found this helpful
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Inspirational story

I bought this book for my 5- and 2-year old. I don't want to hide facts from them about reality, but I want to do it in a gentle way. This book is perfect for this. It's real and it's not easy, but it approaches fear, danger, hiding, and immigrating with a sensitive way. The focus is on people helping each other and helping Kunkush make his way back to his family. It's a story of hope and it's a story that children can relate to. My kids love it and they pretend they have a cat named Kunkush. I would say the age range is more like 5 and above. It's a little too long and wordy for younger kids to understand, but parents could adapt the text. Conversely, kids older than 8 will enjoy this book. I'd say it's suitable for kids 5-10. The artwork is beautiful, the story is inspiring. Buy this book for your children!
4 people found this helpful
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My 5 and 8 year old daughters love this book

My 5 and 8 year old daughters love this book. It is a beautiful story and a great way to start a conversation about our current global refugee crisis in a kid-friendly way.
4 people found this helpful
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Very educational!

What an amazing story, extremely well explained and beautifully illustrated....a keeper for many generations to come. This book will help children understand the hardships so many refugee families go through in order to just survive. We should see them all as courageous overcomers.
4 people found this helpful
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Great story

Great book for teaching about refugees to young children. I also use it to teach English to a refugee family. The fact that it is true story and has photos of the real family is a bonus.
3 people found this helpful
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Beautiful book about an incredibly timely topic!

This book is exquisitely illustrated and beautifully written about an incredibly moving and current topic. But the best thing about this is how much my 11-year old loves it. She was glued to the story and read it over and over again. It really provoked some thoughtful conversations about both current events and the deeper questions of inequality.

This book would also be perfect to read to the younger set - 4 and up -- during story time. They would love the pictures and become fully engaged in the story through the character of the cat.

All ages will love seeing the real-life pictures of the people (and the cat!) involved in the story at the end of the book A must buy!
3 people found this helpful
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BEAUTIFUL STORY !

This book is is based on a sad, sweet true story that will touch the hearts of everyone who loves cats and who understands
the love between people and their cats. I bought this for my 10 year old grand daughter as a Valentine gift.
3 people found this helpful