Jamaica's Find

Written by Juanita Havill

Narrated by Kim Staunton

Jamaica has a problem. She's found a stuffed dog in the park, all dirty and worn from lots of hugging. Instead of taking it to the lost and found department, she's taken it home. Now, as she sits in her room staring at the dog, she's starting to feel bad. Maybe the toy dog belongs to a little girl just like Jamaica. When she decides to do the right thing and take the dog back to the park, she gets a very happy surprise. Jamaica's moral dilemma will undoubtedly interest young readers, as their consciences begin to grasp the concepts of right and wrong. Kim Staunton's reading supplies the compassion and empathy that children require in those all-too-familiar situations in which the right choice is not necessarily the easy one.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Recorded Books, Inc.
• Release date: Jun 6, 2008
• ISBN: 9781436137010

Juanita Havill

JUANITA HAVILL is an American children's picture book author best known for the Jamaica books. She has also written a young adult novel, Eyes Like Willy's. She lives in Arizona.

Reviews for Jamaica's Find

[sfinke5 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

This book is great and teaches young children that if you find something that is not yours you should return it. This is a valuable lesson for young children. The main character Jamaica finds a stuffed animal and returns it to the lost and found. She meets a friend on the playground and realizes it is her stuffed animal. When the girl gets it back she is so happy. The ending is very happy. The illustrations are great and shows Jamaica and her entire story. They are a nice pastel and are well done. The reader also wants to keep reading the book to see what Jamaica does with the stuffed animal and to see if she returns it. Overall it is a great book for young children.

[kweber8 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Summary: Jamaica was a curious girl who strolled to the park herself one afternoon and found a hat and a stuffed animal dog. She went to return the hat, but saved the dog for herself. She loved the dog with all of her heart and could not part with it. She took the dog to the swings, the slide, and even home. At home she made the dog a little bed until her mother came in to talk to her. Jamaica was convinced by her mother to return the dog, so the next day, sad, Jamaica took the dog to the lost and found. She then meets a girl outside crying who is looking for a hat and dog that she left at the park the day before. Jamaica becomes excited and tells the girl where she can find her things. Review: This is a wonderful book with many aspects that children can relate too. The central message of this book is responsibility and the value of helping others. Jamaica would have loved to keep the stuffed animal for herself. Right when she found the dog she plopped him into her bicycle basket and returned the hat. She was in love with the dog so much and was distraught when her parents told her she must return it. At a young age Jamaica only thought of her own feelings when finding the dog, but when she met the sad girl looking for the dog she understood. "Jamaica was almost as happy as..." the girl who found her dog, which shows the readers that Jamaica felt wonderful that she was able to help the girl out.

[jewolf-1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Jamaica finds a stuffed dog in the park and falls in love with him. When she returns home with him she is confronted by the morals of her mother and forced to make a decision. she choices right and brings the lost dog to the lost and found and then meets the owner of the stuffed animal. It was a little girl who was her age and was so happy to find her puppy.

[triciaetaylor · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

While playing by herself at the park Jamaica finds a stuffed dog. She immediately cherishes the dog and takes it home. But soon she starts to wonder about the original owner and wonders if they miss this lovely stuffed dog. She returns the dog to the park and hands it over to the lost and found. Playing in the park she meets a young girl searching for her lost stuffed dog, making a friend while learning the value of helping others.

[carriedold_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Good story for sharing.