2024 PenCraft Book Award Winner
Annemarie Riley Guertin’s heartwarming picture book Finding Mr. Trunks highlights the positive impact of social media and brings people together to help #FindMrTrunks.
Somewhere between the security checkpoint and Gate 2 is where it happened. The grip around my neck loosened. Oh, no! Libby? Libbyyyyy! When Libby accidentally drops her beloved stuffed elephant, Mr. Trunks, at the airport, he must figure out how to reconnect with her before they’re separated forever. With help from a friendly baby and big brother en route to Italy, Mr. Trunks comes up with a clever plan to harness the power of social media and #FindMrTrunks.
With quirky illustrations by Andrea Alemanno and a magical world of people and animals, this modern tale of finding home and the power of collective kindness is sure to give you all the heart eyes.
Praise
When Libby accidentally drops Mr. Trunks while rushing through the airport, he worries he will be lost forever. Thankfully, a baby finds him and takes him along for their travels. The baby's parents realize Mr. Trunks belongs to someone, so they post a picture on social media with the tag #FindingMr.Trunks, hoping his owner will be located. Soon, the post goes viral, connecting the finder's family with Libby. They make a plan to meet at the airport when they return from their trip in two weeks. Until then, they take photos with Mr. Trunks and post them online so Libby can see what he is doing. When the trip comes to an end, Mr. Trunks is happy to be reunited with Libby, but sad he will no longer be able to comfort Baby. The next day, to his surprise, Libby brings another elephant for Baby, making the goodbye a bit easier. This unique fun-filled tale is unlike any other! Guertin creates a special story showcasing how social media can be an incredible tool. As readers are taken on an adventure around Italy, they see how a little kindness from strangers can go a long way.
—Children's Literature
Finding Mr. Trunks is an illustrated story about a toy named Mr. Trunks, who gets separated from Libby, his original owner. Instead, author Annemarie Riley Guertin has Mr. Trunks taken by another family, who wonder how he came within their grasp. Baby's father and mother believe that the other bought Mr. Trunks for Baby, but then they conclude that's not the case. Baby's parents decide to report it to the airport the next day, but that doesn't help. They even decide to take pictures with Mr. Trunks and post them on social media, hoping that the owner will notice since Mr. Trunks has a nametag. Despite his owner looking for him, Mr. Trunks gets attached to Baby and his family.
Finding Mr. Trunks is an original tale that will leave you smiling. Annemarie Riley Guertin did a splendid job focusing on Mr. Trunks. Children are bound to get excited by the superb pictures made by Andrea Alemanno. I like the ending a lot and I like how Mr. Trunks was happy, too. It was interesting to see anthropomorphism included in Finding Mr. Trunks. Finding Mr. Trunks is centered on the toy named Mr. Trunks, and his interactions with Baby, Baby's family, and Libby. It was fantastic to see social media implemented into the storyline in a way that children can understand what is going on. I like the visual expressions, one of my favorites being Mr. Trunks smiling. I like the twist that Annemarie implemented in the storyline. It was fascinating to see from Mr. Trunk's point of view, rather than Libby's or Baby's. The book cover is simple but good. I recommend this story to children.
—Readers' Favorite, Miguel Angel Hernandez
