Nook

June 1, 2021

PreS-Gr 1-Even the shyest of little lop-eared rabbits can come out of her shell with the right show of support. Nook likes to watch her classmates from the safety of a deep chair or a corner where there is always something firmly reassuring at her back. Her favorite outdoor spot is a hollow at the base of an elm tree, a refuge her friends call "Nook's place" and where they do not trespass. Occasionally, they try to lure Nook into their games, but only Nook's spirit joins them until the day a grumpy badger claims the elm for himself. Nook's classmates gather close to defend her, and when the badger won't budge, they escort her away to play with them. Seeing that her friends have her back, Nook no longer needs the sanctuary of the elm tree. This unusual and gentle story is sweetly captured in pictures that were created with pencil and computer but have the rough, papery texture of prints. Bear, fox, mouse, and squirrel with their pin-dot eyes and cheerful expressions exude kindness and well-being. Their acceptance and encouragement of Nook are as heartwarming as her newfound confidence. VERDICT A quiet book that will speak generously to introverts and anyone who loves them.-Jan Aldrich Solow, formerly Fairfax County Public Sch., VA

Copyright 2021 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

Starred review from April 1, 2021
A shy child surrenders her special sitting place when an unhappy stranger comes along. Resembling the sweet, flop-eared white bunny of Garland's Share (2014) more in looks than character, Nook much prefers to sit silently apart pressed safely against a wall, beneath a table, or, best of all, nestled in a cozy hollow in an old elm tree outdoors; she'll join the play of her more outgoing animal friends in spirit rather than body. Mostly they give her the space she needs, inviting her to join them just often enough to let her know she's included. Disaster looms one day, though, when she finds a big, angry badger sitting in her special place: "Mine!" it snaps. "Go away!" With no wall or corner to retreat to, Nook feels her panic rising--and suddenly her friends are all gathered behind her. "That's Nook's place." "Yes, Nook needs to sit there." When the interloper won't be moved, Nook's friends lead her away to be with them in the middle of the playground...and that turns out to be OK, because now that she understands that they will always have her back she no longer needs the refuge. Garland uses vigorous strokes of brush and colored pencil to give her figures a plushy surface, and though she depicts them as animals, so human are their understated expressions and gestures (and clothes) that young readers may not notice. Both Nook's gentle nature and the kindness and loyalty of her friends positively shine. A sensitive character study with feelings that run deep. (Picture book. 6-8)

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