HAVE YOU SEEN MIKKI OLSEN?

A roly-poly penguin misplaces his favorite toy.

According to the to-do list tacked to the wall, the penguin has three very important responsibilities every day: fishing, chopping plenty of wood, and purchasing “sticky icky fish.” Through it all, the penguin has a constant companion by his side: Mikki Olsen, his beloved, bright pink bear. They are inseparable. But one day, a “sticky icky fish” accidentally gets stuck to Mikki Olsen. When the penguin sits on the toy, Mikki Olsen gets stuck to the penguin’s posterior, and his routine starts to unravel. The poor penguin searches everywhere for the missing plushie—in the sink, in a box of fish flakes, in the garbage can, between the pages of a book, and even in the riskiest place for a penguin to look: inside a whale’s mouth. Young readers will delight in pointing out the missing toy on every page as it unintentionally follows the penguin wherever he goes. A well-timed, defeated flop in the snow finally reveals Mikki Olsen’s hiding place. Spare text and uncluttered scenes (with fun details, such as the initials MO in a heart carved on trees in the background) provide a soothing backdrop for the penguin’s fretful search. Macdonald gives this predicament, which will be familiar to many young readers, a suitably reassuring ending.

A soothing, sweet reminder that sometimes, missing objects are right under your…tush.