First published 1970
Four-year-old Robert has his own special name for the public library. He calls it "Mike's House." This innocent mix-up creates a big problem when Robert wanders away from home and gets lost. A police officer finds the little boy and tries to help him get where he needs to go. Robert tells the officer he wants to go to Mike's House. The policeman searches his mind but cannot figure out what place the child means. No one named Mike lives nearby. The officer grows puzzled as he tries to decode Robert's destination. The simple miscommunication between the lost child and the helpful adult creates confusion that must be sorted out. This gentle story captures how young children see the world through their own lens, creating names and meanings that make perfect sense to them but baffle the grown-ups around them.
Genres: fiction, family-life, contemporary
Vibes: emotional, gentle, whimsical
Tropes: found-family, misunderstanding
Setting: Mike's House, Public Library
Period: 4-year-old
31 pages · Paperback · Dutton Juvenile