Need proof that this picture book ain't for your standard picture book audience (K-2nd grade)? An excerpt:Sometimes Snook watched the birds.The fairy terns, arrowlike white creatures,quick and agile, flew in mated pairs,dive-bombing the sea and flying homewith little fishes dangling from their beakslike handlebar mustaches.The youngest of readers won't follow, but this is pretty stellar stuff for 4th/5th grade on up. Living on an island with his master, monk Abba Jacob, rat terrier Snook is in charge of vermin control. When the pair visit a new island to catalog the plants and animals, a storm leaves them separated. Snook explores his new home and waits to see if Abba Jacob will return.The artwork is Caldecott-level outstanding. Ering mixes sweeping acrylic and ink vistas with smaller, more detailed spot illustrations, giving this modern story the look of a timeless tale. - TI just came across this on our new junior picture shelf (picture books for older readers) this month, and i keep recommending it to my readers who love this section. The artwork is fantastic--In addition to T's notes above, Snook's expressions add much to the descriptions and really capture his personality. ~s As children's books go, this has an above-average vocabulary, so it's not a choice for the emergent reader. However, the artwork by Timothy Basil Erving is so enchanting and the story is a sweet read-aloud. This is the book you will read with your child over and over again, discovering new secrets hidden in both the language and the drawings each time. I picked up the book because the cover drawing looks like our Smooth Fox Terrier. Okay, the story is really about a RAT terrier, but the breeds are similar enough is both looks and personality to draw me in. Snook is the sole companion of a solitary monk who lives on an island, cataloguing and observing endangered wildlife, while fulfilling his monastic duties. Separated from the monk during a birding expedition, Snook's story becomes a sort of canine "Old Man and the Sea," as he struggles to survive, pitted against the elements and the other inhabitants of the tiny sliver of land on which he has been stranded. His natural curiousity and instinct to survive, coupled with his love for the monk whose scent has faded but whose memory lingers, sustain the little dog during his exile.Snook Alone is a sweet book, rich in language and imagery. The writing style does not talk down to children, and expects that the book will be read by a reader who can help explain the book to those too young to grasp the words without assistance. It is my hope that the delightful illustrations will help draw in young listeners and keep their attention, while a good reader brings the tale of Snook alive.
What do You think about Snook Alone (2010)?
I liked the aspect of being alone and dealing with being alone.
—SelenaDimitriev
