- 10 Little Rubber Ducks by Eric Carle. (2005) Ages 2-6
When a storm strikes a cargo ship, ten rubber ducks are tossed overboard and swept off in ten different directions. Based on a real incident involving a container ship.
- Benny's Had Enough! by Barbro Lindgren, illus. by Olof Landström. (1999) Ages 4-8
Benny runs away when his mother attempts to wash his stuffed pig, but he loses the pig when he is scared by a nasty pig. He realizes that he loves his home and mother, finds the pig, and returns.
- Catilda by John Stadler. (2003) Ages 4-8
After Catilda's parents tuck her in, she embarks on a journey to the city to retrieve her lost bear. The only text—contained in speech balloons—is the adults' speculation on her whereabouts.
- Emily's Balloon by Komako Sakai. (2006) Ages 2-6
A fable-like story about a toddler whose balloon gets stuck in a tree. The ending is left open, inviting discussion about what will happen the following day. Pair with The Red Balloon.
- I Lost My Bear by Jules Feiffer. (1998) Ages 5 and up
A little girl enlists help from her family to find her bear, and in the process, finds a lot of other toys she'd been missing. The cartoon style includes a great deal of dialogue.
- Jamaica's Find by Juanita Havill, illus. by Anne Sibley O'Brien. (1987) Ages 4-8
In the first of a series of books about Jamaica, all illustrated by a Maine artist, the little girl struggles with the moral dilemma of what to do with the stuffed dog she finds in the park.
- Knuffle Bunny by Mo Willems. (2004) Ages 3 and up
Dad unthinkingly throws his daughter's stuffed bunny into the wash at the laundromat and a series of miscommunications ensues before Mom and Dad go running back to retrieve him.
- La La Rose by Satomi Ichikawa. (2004) Ages 4-9
A rabbit is swept up in a series of adventures in Paris's Luxembourg Gardens (depicted in stunning maps on the endpapers) before being reunited with her little girl, Clementine, at dusk.
- Olivia and the Missing Toy by Ian Falconer. (2003) Ages 4-8
Olivia is busy worrying about her soccer uniform when she realizes that her best toy is missing. Olivia's response—panic and a single-minded search for the culprit—is very realistic.
- Plaidypus Lost by Janet Stevens and Susan Stevens Crummel. (2004) Ages 3-8
A girl repeatedly misplaces the friend she's made from her grandfather's old shirt, as reflected in the book's refrain: "Plaidypus lost, Plaidypus found, this story goes around and around."
- Polly's Puffin by Sarah Garland. (1988) Ages 3-8
Polly's brother tosses her puffin into a stranger's coat hood during a shopping trip. The setting of this story will ring true for any child who's been carted around on errands.
- Tatty Ratty by Emily Cooper. (2002) Ages 3-8
Molly imagines adventures (many involving fairy tale characters) for her missing bunny. The beloved Ratty (or a new bunny good enough to pass for Ratty) is discovered in a toy store.
- The Teddy Bear by David McPhail. (2002) Ages 4-10
A bear abandoned at a diner is tossed in the trash, and a homeless man picks him out of the dumpster, defying expectations by loving the bear just as much as the little boy who lost him.
- That Rabbit Belongs to Emily Brown by Cressida Crowell & Neal Layton. (2007) Ages 4-8
The Queen claims Emily's bunny and offers her a teddy bear. When Emily refuses it, the Queen's guard steals the bunny and Emily must instruct the Queen in proper stuffed-animal care.
- Tom Rabbit by Martin Waddell, illus. by Barbara Firth. (2001) Ages 3-8
At suppertime, Sammy leaves Tom Rabbit in the back field, where the wild rabbits roam. He can't come back for him until bedtime. How will the rabbits react to their stuffed counterpart?
- The Tub People by Pam Conrad, illus. by Richard Egielski. (1987) Ages 4-8
Seven figurines live without incident by the edge of the tub until the Tub Child is washed down the drain, after which their owner moves them to a safer spot in the bedroom.
- Where Can It Be? by Ann Jonas. (1986) Ages 0-4
As a little girl searches her house for her missing blanket, readers can help her by lifting flaps to reveal what's behind doors and under beds.
- Where's Chimpy? by Bernice Rabe, photographs by Diane Schmidt. (1988) Ages 3-6
The plot of a missing stuffed monkey is the vehicle for a joyous, unaffected portrait of Misty, who has Down's syndrome, and her dad. Perceptive full-color photos depict the family naturally.
- Where's My Monkey? by Dieter Schubert. (1987) Ages 2-6
In this wordless import from Holland, a monkey falls off a bicycle and experiences wonderful adventures with hedgehogs, mice, and other animals before finding his owner at a doll hospital.
- Where's My Teddy? by Jez Alborough. (1992) Ages 3-8
Eddie is searching the woods for his lost teddy when he runs into a giant bear on a similar quest. Rhyme makes this book fun to read; the different perspectives make it great to discuss.
You can download the booklist as a pdf.
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