Common Sense Media Review
By Sandie Angulo Chen
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
Picture-book adaptation will delight even youngest kids.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 3+?
Any Positive Content?
Where to Watch
Videos and Photos
Lost and Found
Parent and Kid Reviews
Based on 30 parent reviews
Parents say that this movie is a beautifully animated adaptation of a children's book, cherished by many kids and parents alike, but it contains intense emotional themes and some frightening scenes that can distress sensitive children, particularly involving a storm and a giant octopus. While it offers a lovely story about friendship and has no dialogue, many parents caution against showing it to very young or sensitive viewers without prior discussion to help alleviate potential fears.
- beautiful animation
- intense themes
- scary scenes
- emotional distress
- great for older kids
Summarized with AI
Summarized with AI
Based on 2 kid reviews
What's the Story?
LOST AND FOUND, the animated adaptation of Oliver Jeffers' best-selling picture book, follows a simple story: One day, a boy opens his family's front door and finds a penguin standing there. The boy figures the penguin must be lost, so he sets out to figure out where penguins come from and decides to find a way to transport the penguin back home. Along the way, the boy and the penguin become friends, so when the two set off in a rowboat to the South Pole, it's unclear if that's really what the penguin wants after all.
Is It Any Good?
Narrated by acclaimed actor Jim Broadbent, this delightful movie is vividly colored and features Jeffers' signature typography in the boy's village. Jeffers' books are all wonderful, but you never know if an adaptation is going to accurately capture what makes a book so memorable. Luckily for fans of Jeffers' picture books, Lost and Found is a lovely little animated adventure about a boy and the penguin that mysteriously shows up on his doorstep one day.
This is ultimately a story about the two main characters' feelings. As in the book, there is no direct dialogue, only narration. This allows the viewer to focus on the boy and the penguin's expressions and gestures and to see how their journey is not simply about getting to the South Pole but about something deeper -- finding a home and a true friend. Short and sweet, this adorable movie will appeal to kids and adults alike.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about the message of this story. What does the boy realize when he drops off the penguin at the South Pole?
If you could have any animal show up at your door, what would it be? Why would you want to be friends with that animal?
Parents and kids, talk about which of your favorite picture books you wish would get turned into a movie.
Movie Details
- On DVD or streaming : October 15, 2013
- Cast : Jim Broadbent
- Director : Philip Hunt
- Studio : Entertainment One
- Genre : Family and Kids
- Topics : Book Characters
- Run time : 54 minutes
- MPAA rating :
- Last updated : October 9, 2025
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