How to lose a lemur

Enhanced descriptions from Syndetics:

By the much-loved author of The Journey Home and Dinosaur Farm.

Everyone knows that once a lemur takes a fancy to you there is not much that can be done about it. While being followed by lemurs one day, a boy tries hiding up a tree (without luck), disguising himself (without success) and even tries to sail off in a boat to get away from them - only to discover the lemurs snorkeling behind him. Eventually, after climbing mountains, taking trains and going through the air in a balloon, he finally thinks that he has lost them. Or has he? In the process, he has managed to get himself lost, and it is only then that he realises that the cunning lemurs might just be helpful after all...

Reviews provided by Syndetics

School Library Journal Review

PreS-Gr 1-What do you do if a lemur takes a liking to you? Well, if you are the little boy in this book, you do whatever it takes to try and lose it-whether that means climbing a tree, riding a bike, taking a train, or crossing a desert. The lemurs in this tale are persistent, though, and it's a good thing, because when the young narrator finds himself lost and far from home, the friendly lemurs are there to help the boy find his way home again. The story builds upon itself in a way that brings to mind Laura Numeroff's If You Give a Mouse a Cookie (HarperCollins, 1985), and young readers/listeners will want to know what happens next. Preston-Gannon's illustrations appear collage-like and fill the pages with brightness. The lemurs are definitely the stars here, looking cute enough to cuddle, and the illustration of them snorkeling is sure to elicit giggles from kids. This title would be a fun addition to a storytime on transportation or unusual animals. Recommended for general purchase.-Heather Webb, Worthington Libraries, OH (c) Copyright 2014. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

Booklist Review

A little boy is walking down the park path when he notices an eager lemur following him. He doesn't want to be friends, but everyone knows that once a lemur takes a liking to you, there is not much that can be done about it. The large-headed little boy tries to avoid the animal anyway, taking a train, rowing a boat, soaring in a hot-air balloon, and hiking over a snowy mountain to escape the creature, now accompanied by more lemur friends. Eventually, the little boy has traveled so far from home that he is terribly lost. Luckily, the lemurs know the way back, and the little boy gives in and accepts their offer of friendship. The odd pursuit-by-lemurs premise would be menacing if it weren't for Preston-Gannon's soft and smudgy collagelike illustrations. Lemur fans, who would probably relish being the leader of a lemur parade, will be delighted by the wide-eyed lemurs of all shapes and sizes who, when all is said and done, really just want to be friends.--Hunter, Sarah Copyright 2014 Booklist

Kirkus Book Review

Wild adventure follows when some lemurs take a shine to a slightly wary boy. The boy is holding an ice cream cone, and the lemur clutches a red flower. Their eyes lock; the lemur's smile says it all: "[O]nce a lemur takes a liking to you, there is not much that can be done about it." The boy tries to slip away, even climbing up a tree, but he can't shake the lemur, who manages to attract a few more. The boy hops on his bike, but he can't elude the quartet of lemurs following on a bike of their own. In no time, the boy's being hugged by several new pals who want to play. Still uncomfortable, he hops on a train, takes to the sky in a hot air balloon, jumps in a boat to cross the lake, climbs the highest mountain, and travels through the desert in the scorching heat, on a camel. And on every leg of this odyssey, the lemurs aren't far behind...though they are hiding. When the boy decides that he has eluded the lemurs, he realizes that he's far from home and doesn't know how to get back. That's where his determined new friends come in. Preston-Gannon's lemurs are quite adorable. Each two-page spread is beautifully evocative, with basic shapes and shrewd use of white space. Simple but silly and satisfying. (Picture book. 4-6)]] Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.