When the lights go out during a summer electrical storm, a grandmother tells her granddaughter a story about a brave, resourceful girl’s rescue of her pet dog during a blizzard. The actual story in the book is illustrated with two kinds of ink drawings: one set showing the girl’s rescue efforts, another indicating how Grandma illustrates her story with a series of “cat’s cradle” string figures. The two forms of illustration make it possible for the book to reach two distinct audiences--younger listeners who will enjoy the adventure story, and older readers who will be interested in trying out the string figures. Directions for making the specific string figures are given in diagrams at the end of the book. Fleischman, a skilled string‑figure storyteller, provides great practical advice about making a string to work with--yes, there’s a trick to that, but it’s an easy one--and about Cat’s Cradle figures in general. He suggests several Cat’s Cradle books for young readers to find at the public library. Just keep a string in your pocket, and you’re all set, once you learn the figures to tell this story--and others, too. (Age 5 and older)

A Newbery-winning author and a brilliant new artist create a story that young readers will read and perform for years to come.

Watch and listen as a grandmother recounts a tale of a resourceful farm girl lost in a blizzard, searching for her dog. As she describes that young girl's hazardous journey, a sequence of string figures takes shape in her hands, illustrating each step along the way. Striking scratchboard illustrations bring the grandmother's story to life, while clear instructions and careful diagrams at the end of the book allow you to recreate the tale, and to hold string figure performances of your own. Paul Fleischman's own intergenerational string troupe, String Quartet, has made Lost! a regular part of its repertoire, and you can too.