- Hardcover: 32 pages
- Publisher: Alfred a Knopf (Mar 1994)
- Language English
- ISBN-10: 067985648X
- ISBN-13: 978-0679856481
- Product Dimensions: 29.7 x 23.1 x 1 cm
- Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
- Amazon Bestsellers Rank: 751,722 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
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Product Description
Product Description
When a seafaring grandfather returns home for the last time, his ten-year-old grandson searches for the great treasure hidden in the sailor's old wooden chest. But Grandfather's legacy is much more than gold coins--it is the promise that the imagination holds the mightiest treasure of all.
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Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
11 of 11 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
When the narrator of "Looking for Atlantis" was a ten-year-old boy his grandfather came home from the sea for the first time. His grandfather had traveled every ocean a hundred times and visited every country of the world from the plains of Patagonia to the distant volcano of Tristan da Cunha. Before he died the boy's grandfather gives him the large wooden chest by his bed, telling him "Everything you could ever want is in that chest if you know where to look for it." He also talks about the boy getting to Atlantis, explaining that you have to learn to look for the mythical land but that it "is right here, all around you."
After the grandfather dies writer and artist Colin Thompson shows us the lifetime of treasures contained within that chest. "Looking for Atlantis" is primarily a picture book. By this I mean two things. First, that the chief attraction here are the pictures, in which Thompson often fills every square inch with literally dozens of details. You can spend an hour just looking over everything that we see when the boy opens up his grandfather's chest for the first time. But those who are familiar with Thompson's other work, such as "The Paperbag Prince" and "How to Live Forever," know that is exactly what to expect from his books. Young readers will have to ask adults for explanations as to the meaning of "Macho Mariner Biscuits with Extra Weevils" and to point out which bird is the Dodo.
Second, "Looking for Atlantis" is a picture book because after the detailed narrative at the beginning the words disappear for the most part. There are six picture spreads in which there is only a single line to be read. Clearly Thompson knows that once he gets going with his detailed illustrations words are something of a distraction from the main feast. However, there is a point to the story regarding the power of the imagination and the transcendental quality of love, it is just that the art is so visually stunning that you have to remind yourself that there is a narrative thread to the book as well.
There are also references to famous paintings throughout the book, which means that young readers will be able to return to this book as they grow older and find they get more of what is going on in each illustration. Thompson came up with the idea of "Looking For Atlantis" because he wanted to do a book that was a cross-section of a house. Having already used the idea in the 1993 Leeds calendar, Thompson needed a reason for a young boy to go through all the rooms on a house and decided that searching for Atlantis was a much better idea than just looking for a lost book or a cat. Eventually the idea was refined to the point that Thompson clearly had a lesson about how to look for something was more important than knowing where to look for something. Just be forewarned: once you enjoy one of Thompson's picture books you are going to want to track down the rest of them as well.
4 of 4 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
We have had this book for more than two years, and still we pull it out at bedtime. The illustrations are so imaginative that there is always something new to see each time.
Great value for money and great exercise for the imagination
Format:Paperback
This is an amazing book. As a future primary school teacher this is a book I will be sharing with my classes. It has a powerful story throughout which is enhanced by the amazing pictures. It took me over half an hour to have a quick flip through this book, I was drawn in and fascinated by it. A must have for both children and adults.
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
My favourite Colin THompson book!
If I had to chose only 1 of Colin Thompson's books it would be this one! It's a beautiful story of the love between an old sailor, his parrot, and his grandson. Read more
Published 11 months ago by Fellfairy
Imaginative and enchanting
Colin Thompson is a fabulously original illustrator, who makes books with beautiful images and great attention to detail. Read more
Published 18 months ago by Jenny Hampton
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