Here I Am: A Story of Lost and Found

＂Here I Am, a Story of Lost and Found＂, written and illustrated by R. Freeland, is about a little dog with paint in his hair, but very cute. Waiting to for some to adopt him along with other dogs at the Humane Society, the little dog embraces us as he did to the author. Follow the little dog’s journey to finding a new home and his adopted name Henri Rousseau. Each page is a painted snapshot of his life, featuring his great painting ability or visiting Dr. Bell at the Veterinary Clinic, to accidentally running away and settling into his new home. ＂Here I Am＂ is a whimsical adventure rhyme book, written to appeal to the 0-3-year-old age group with a focus on story time reading aloud. The narrative is character driven, focusing heavily on Henri Rousseau a painterly dog and his newly adopted friend. The events that unfold present storytelling and emotion to a toddler. The story examines the themes of caring for pets in a modern day life. As the story unfolds revealing Henri’s creative and expressive nature, the toddler’s relationship with the written language strengthens as new concepts presented. The book also introduces the concept of adoption of pets and lessons about caring and friendship. Beautiful, full-color illustrations are sure to captivate and delight children and parents alike.