Finding François: A Story about the Healing Power of Friendship

　　★《喬治不能說的秘密》作者葛斯．高登（Gus Gordan）最新作品，帶你體會友誼驚人的療癒力
　　★ 明亮的水彩與鉛筆畫，法式優雅風情，繪製出歡樂的城市風光與海景，溫暖人心
 
　　小豬愛麗絲與奶奶一起生活，她們一起做焦糖布丁、一起散步，儘管生活得很開心，愛麗絲還是希望自己能有一個姊姊，甚至是哥哥。某天，異想天開的愛麗絲寫了一封信，上面寫著：你好，我是愛麗絲，然後把這封信塞進瓶子，扔進塞納河裡，希望能有人撿到它。
 
　　愛麗絲的瓶中信漂呀漂，被章魚撿了起來，又被海鷗帶上天空，最後漂到了一座很遙遠的燈塔。燈塔裡住著小狗弗朗索瓦，他正是愛麗絲期待已久的朋友！於是，他們開始頻繁地通信。只是某天生活起了變化，愛麗絲沒辦法常常寫信給弗朗索瓦，他們的友誼會因此產生裂痕嗎？
 
　　「優雅的語言，可愛的人物以及令人一眼愛上的繪圖，每次閱讀都能讓你感到暖心」--《KIRKUS review》

For fans of The Rough Patch, A Sick Day for Amos McGee, and In a Jar comes a tender and gently adventurous gem about the power of friends to soothe aches big and small.

Alice, a little piglet, loves life with her grandmother, making lists and crème brûlée, organizing buttons, and taking walks. Still, Alice wishes she had a sister--or even a brother. So, she does the sensible thing: She writes a note (＂Hello! I am Alice＂), tucks it into a bottle, and tosses it into the river, where it drifts out to sea, is captured by an octopus, picked up by a seagull, and arrives at a faraway lighthouse. There, François, a little dog, lives with his dad. François is everything Alice could wish for in a friend, and soon the seas are busy with their bottled correspondence. But when a big change comes, and Alice can’t bring herself to write François more letters, will the simple comforts of time, love, and friendship restore the light to Alice’s life?

In this marvelous, gently funny and reassuring tale, the lucky and lovely friendship between Alice and François spans the length of the River Seine and the loss of a loved one. Award-winning author and artist Gus Gordon captures the highs and lows of being little, and tenderly shepherds kids on a journey full of fantastic possibilities, friendship, and healing.

* ＂Reminiscent of William Steig . . . Will warm hearts and minds with each reading.＂ --Kirkus (starred review)
＂[A book] to help kids navigate life.＂ --HuffPost
* ＂Endearing . . . Expressive . . . Heartening . . . Memorable＂ --Booklist (starred review)
＂Joyful [and] contemplative. [A] timely message that friendships can be maintained over distance and time.＂ --BCCB
＂Triumphant, [with] gentle tongue-in-cheek humor [amid a] central theme of enduring love.＂ --PW
＂Charming. [A] soothing, kid-friendly approach to life after loss.＂ --SLJ
＂Earnest and playful . . . tender and inviting.＂ --The Horn Book

Gus Gordon is a writer and illustrator of books for small people, and older people who like small people’s books. His works include I Am Cow, Hear Me Moo!, Herman and Rosie, Somewhere Else, and The Last Peach. Gus lives with his wife and three kids in the Northern Beaches of Sydney, Australia.