Last & Found

Maija Hurme

A star flickers for the last time.
It died long before we were born, hundreds or thousands of years ago.
For years, the light travelled through space.

Life is full of last times. The last bite of chocolate, the last day of winter, the last piece of the puzzle. Some last times are joyful, others sad. A last time can be an opportunity, a beginning, terrifying or a change. A last time can be a funny memory that stays forever.

Last & Found is a philosophical, comforting and somewhat melancholic book of thoughts that invites reflection and conversation. A beautiful and sensitive collection of special moments and things, captured by Maija Hurme’s sharp and lovingly eye.

“Maija Hurme succeeds in both creating atmosphere and inviting conversation without the book becoming too pedagogical. […] In the interplay between the short texts and the emotional design of the illustrations, the book opens up for free interpretation and discussion depending on the needs of the reading children. The overall impression is a beautiful and somewhat melancholic depiction of the transience of life: rotting sausages, decaying mushrooms in the forest, dying stars. But it also becomes clear that life takes place precisely in these moments, in these fleeting moments that are often overshadowed by everything that came first. The last dance of the evening, the last shared bun and the last street lamp that switches off before the dawn of a new day.” Julie Ebbe, Svenska Yle

“The philosophical picture book successfully takes up a rather difficult topic for children’s books. It is not easy to talk and write about feelings such as melancholy, sadness, longing, fear and worry. Facing the last times often also means being confronted with change.” Johanna Björkholm-Kallio, Österbottens Tidning

“Hurme’s elegant homage to the gems of life’s last moments stimulates the eye, the ear and the mind.” Maria Lassén-Seger, Hufvudstadsbladet

 

By the same author