“Hello sweetie? I seem to have lost our son!” Those are the last words a mother wants to hear. Cartoonist Harry Bliss takes
a parent’s nightmare and turns it into a humorous comic book adventure.
One sunny day in the park, while Luke’s father is chatting with another dad, young Luke (who appears to be about 4 or 5 years old) decides to chase after a flock of pigeons. Grinning hysterically, Luke takes flight through the park after the frightened birds. He crosses a busy street, dashes over the Brooklyn Bridge, crashes past a lady pushing a baby stroller, bumps into unsuspecting customers at a sidewalk café, and careens past an ice cream vendor. Finally the pigeons fly to the top of a water tower with Luke right behind them. He’s so tired from all that running that he falls fast asleep on the roof, which is where the fire department finds him. The funniest pictures in this
graphic novel show what happens to the other characters as Luke and the birds storm by them. A couple topples into the water fountain. A scared little old lady clings to the bridge cables for dear life. Scoops of ice cream plop onto the vendor’s clean white hat. This cartoon book is meant for readers aged preschool to Grade 2, but adults will enjoy the fast-paced action as well – especially those who have had children who’ve gotten “loose” like Luke!
About the Cartoonist Henry Bliss never chased pigeons, but he does have a dog who likes to chase squirrels at their home in Vermont. Bliss is a popular cartoonist for New Yorker magazine and has illustrated many
bestselling children’s books, such as Diary of a Worm, Diary of a Fly, and Diary of a Spider by Doreen Cronin, Which Would You Rather Be? by William Steig, and The Adventures of a Chicken by Kate DiCamillo.