Anyone who’s raised more than one kid — or grown up with a sibling themselves — knows the script by heart. Something goes missing. Fingers get pointed. Nobody wants to be the first to apologize. The Lost Bone: And the Found Sister, written by Margo Smith and illustrated by Derek Keijner, takes that exact scenario and hands it to two poodle sisters, Mimi and Gigi, then lets young readers watch how it all gets sorted out.
It’s a small story with a big point to make, and that’s probably why it keeps showing up on lists of picture books parents actually want to read more than once.
What Happens in The Lost Bone
Mimi and Gigi are sisters, but you’d never guess it from their personalities. Mimi likes things tidy — she’s the one with the bows in her hair, content to stay indoors. Gigi is the opposite: muddy paws, snowy fields, and a prized bone she’s been guarding like treasure.
Then the bone disappears.
Gigi doesn’t ask questions first. She accuses Mimi outright, and the two stop speaking. Mimi knows who actually took it, but Gigi isn’t in a listening mood, so the silence stretches on. Eventually Mimi decides to fix things herself — she tracks down the real culprit and even gives up something she loves to get the bone back. Gigi, still stinging from the accusation she leveled and the rift it caused, isn’t ready to forgive right away.
It’s only when Gigi works out the truth on her own that the sisters finally reconcile. The ending isn’t really about the bone at all — it’s about what almost got lost instead: the relationship between two sisters who needed to slow down and actually hear each other out.
Meet Mimi and Gigi
The book leans on a classic device — opposite personalities forced to navigate the same conflict — and it works because both poodles feel specific rather than generic.
- Mimi is gentle, careful, and a bit of a homebody. She’s the peacemaker type, but even peacemakers get accused of things they didn’t do.
- Gigi is adventurous and a little stubborn, the kind of kid (or dog) who reacts before she reflects.
What gives the characters extra warmth is the backstory: Margo Smith named Gigi after her own real-life poodle. That detail doesn’t change the plot, but it does explain why Gigi reads as more than a stock character — there was a real dog behind her.
The Themes: Forgiveness, Humility, and Actually Listening
This is where the book earns its keep as more than just a cute animal story. Kirkus Reviews described it as an “appealing picture book” that gets kids thinking about the value of listening and how a genuine apology can change everything.
A few things the story handles well:
| Lesson | How it shows up in the story |
|---|---|
| Listening before reacting | Gigi accuses first and asks questions later — with consequences |
| Sincere apology | Mimi’s effort to retrieve the bone is an apology in action, not just words |
| Humility | Gigi has to admit she was wrong, which is harder than it sounds for a kid (or a poodle) |
| Generosity | Mimi gives up something she values to make things right |
For parents and teachers, that combination makes the book a useful conversation-starter — not preachy, just honest about how arguments actually unfold and how they get repaired.
The Illustrations: Why the Art Matters Here
Derek Keijner’s artwork does a lot of quiet work in this book. Kirkus specifically called out the illustrator’s “muted color scheme and gentle whimsy,” and that softness suits the story’s tone — this isn’t a loud, chaotic picture book, it’s a cozy one.
The setting helps too. Snowy scenes, no humans in sight, just two poodles working through a very recognizable family conflict in a fantasy-adjacent world that keeps the focus on the characters rather than any particular time or place. It’s the kind of illustration style that holds a young reader’s attention during a bedtime read without overstimulating them right before lights-out.
About Author Margo Smith
Margo Smith isn’t just a children’s author — she’s a speech-language pathologist, which shows in how cleanly the book is written for early readers. She’s also been open about her own struggles learning to read as a kid, which gives her work on accessible, character-driven stories a layer of lived experience rather than just craft.
Her first book, The Perfect Shade of Pink, came out in 2015 and tackled self-acceptance. The Lost Bone continues that pattern of using gentle animal characters to handle emotional topics kids are actually dealing with. She lives with her family — and her real poodle, Gigi, the namesake behind the book’s character.
Who This Book Is For
The Lost Bone is generally recommended for kids around kindergarten through second grade, making it a solid fit for:
- Bedtime reading — short enough for one sitting, calm enough not to rile kids up before sleep
- Classroom storytime — a natural lead-in to discussions about conflict resolution
- New readers — simple enough sentence structure for kids transitioning to reading on their own
- Sibling households — particularly useful if you’ve got kids who are currently mid-feud over something far less significant than a bone
The book is published by WestBow Press, a Christian imprint, so the moral framing leans into themes of grace and forgiveness that align with that publishing background, even though the story itself stays accessible to any family.
Similar Books Worth Pairing With The Lost Bone
If this story resonates, a few others cover related ground:
- Frog and Toad Are Friends by Arnold Lobel — friendship repaired through honesty
- Amos and Boris by William Steig — an unlikely friendship built on sacrifice
- The Perfect Shade of Pink by Margo Smith — her earlier book on self-acceptance, good for readers who liked her style
Final Thoughts
What makes The Lost Bone stick with readers isn’t the mystery of who took the bone — that’s resolved fairly simply. It’s how honestly the book handles the in-between part: the silence, the hurt feelings, the awkward effort it takes to make things right after someone’s been wrongly accused. Kids see that play out between siblings constantly, and having a story that models the repair — not just the conflict — is genuinely useful.
If you’re looking for a picture book that gives kids language for apologizing, forgiving, and listening before jumping to conclusions, Mimi and Gigi’s story is worth adding to the shelf.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is The Lost Bone about?
It’s a children’s picture book about two poodle sisters, Mimi and Gigi, who fall out after Gigi’s favorite bone goes missing and she wrongly blames Mimi. The story follows their falling out and eventual reconciliation.
Who wrote The Lost Bone?
Margo Smith wrote the book; Derek Keijner illustrated it. Smith is a speech-language pathologist and children’s author who based the character Gigi on her own pet poodle.
What age group is The Lost Bone written for?
It’s best suited to kids roughly kindergarten through second grade, whether read aloud by a parent or read independently by a newer reader.
What lessons does The Lost Bone teach children?
The book emphasizes listening before reacting, offering sincere apologies, admitting fault with humility, and showing generosity — themes Kirkus Reviews highlighted directly in its description of the book.
What does “the Found Sister” mean in the subtitle?
It refers to Mimi and Gigi rebuilding their relationship after the conflict — the real thing “found” by the end isn’t the bone, it’s their sisterhood.
Where can I buy The Lost Bone?
It’s published by WestBow Press and available in paperback and eBook formats through major retailers like Amazon and ChristianBook.
Are there other books like The Lost Bone?
Yes — Frog and Toad Are Friends, Amos and Boris, and Margo Smith’s own earlier title, The Perfect Shade of Pink, all cover similar emotional ground for young readers.
