Nurk is a quiet homebody of a shrew. But when a mysterious plea for help arrives in the mail, he invokes the spirit of his fearless warrior-shrew g...
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Nov 15, 2008
Lara's
rated it: 
Synopsis: Nurk is a quiet homebody of a shrew. Until the day a mysterious letter arrives. Suddenly he's involved in a harrowing rescue--the likes of which would intimidate event the biggest and bravest of shrews.
Review: There is perhaps a small window of reader that will truly love this tale. But, they will LOVE it! I count myself among that window of reader. The vocabulary requires an advanced reader while the story itself is a little slow and predictible for all but the younger crew. Nu More...
Review: There is perhaps a small window of reader that will truly love this tale. But, they will LOVE it! I count myself among that window of reader. The vocabulary requires an advanced reader while the story itself is a little slow and predictible for all but the younger crew. Nu More...
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Dec 18, 2010
Phillip
rated it: 
"Travel broadens the mind," the diminutive title character of "Nurk" keeps reminding himself as he progresses through the stages of his adventure in the wide and threatening world. For a tiny timid shrew who has not wandered very far at all from his home under the roots of a willow tree, the experiences that await him should broaden his mind like it was made of Silly Putty. His greatest challenge, however is trying to live up to the reputation of his battle-bred Grandmother
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Apr 11, 2009
Res
rated it:
The one where Nurk, the shrew, opens a letter that's meant for his grandmother, Surka the warrior hero, and thus is forced to set off on an adventure of his own, guided only by her journal.
This is a charming kids' book. The art is at least a third of the pleasure, and Surka's badly spelled, fearless journal is another third. The tone is great, mildly skeptical without being openly sarcastic. (For instance, once Nurk gets his snail-shell boat out into mid-river, he notes that it's goi More...
This is a charming kids' book. The art is at least a third of the pleasure, and Surka's badly spelled, fearless journal is another third. The tone is great, mildly skeptical without being openly sarcastic. (For instance, once Nurk gets his snail-shell boat out into mid-river, he notes that it's goi More...
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Dec 20, 2011
Tricia
rated it:
I adored this book! The prose is quite lyrical and often funny. There are lots of wonderful details such as "the voice was scratchy and raspy and metallic, like sand poured into a copper kettle." It isn't dumbed down due to the likely audience (pre-teen independent readers). It also has a touch of sweetness - but not too sweet to appeal to an 8 year old boy.
Nurk is a shrew who is a bit timid but who also longs (just a bit) for adventure. Although he is timid, he has a famil More...
Nurk is a shrew who is a bit timid but who also longs (just a bit) for adventure. Although he is timid, he has a famil More...
Aug 18, 2011
Sheherazahde
rated it:
Nukus Aurelius Alonzo Electron Maximilian Shrew wanted to be like his adventurous grandmother, Surka the warrior shrew. He wanted to go on an adventure, but he was still living in his parent's home tree. Until one day he accidentally opened a letter addressed to his grandmother. He set out to return the letter and so began his own adventure.[return][return]This is a fun book for young readers. It has fewer illustrations than her Dragonbreath books and none of the comic book style pages where th
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Jan 03, 2012
Catherine
rated it: 
Wow, now I know that you should never buy oranges from wind gypsies. A few good quotes from the book:
"A true adventurer needs a keen wit, a stout heart and a strong bladder. Dumb luck can stand in for the wit and the heart, but I've never yet found a good substitute for the bladder."
"It's always nice to have someplace to come home to. At best, it's a place where you can rest and be refreshed by familiar surroundings and well-loved people. At worst, at least More...
"A true adventurer needs a keen wit, a stout heart and a strong bladder. Dumb luck can stand in for the wit and the heart, but I've never yet found a good substitute for the bladder."
"It's always nice to have someplace to come home to. At best, it's a place where you can rest and be refreshed by familiar surroundings and well-loved people. At worst, at least More...
Dec 30, 2010
Courtney
rated it:
Since this book is on the Oklahoma Children's Sequoyah List and I am a part-time elementary librarian, I have seen a promo video done by the Brown Brothers of Perma-Bound books. I was curious how the socks that Nurk was armed with would help him. I picked this book because it was rather short and it sounded interesting. By the time I was at least halfway through the book it finally got to the part about the Grizzlemole. As long as it took Nurk to reach the bad guy, he sure didn't have any pr
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Apr 11, 2011
Ian
rated it:
"Travel broadens the mind", and it surely does for a little shrew named Nurk that had never left his little island before, until the fateful day that a mysterious letter came to his house. Almost by mistake Nurk ends up having an adventure following the footsteps of his famous grandmother Surka (the intrepid shrew who some will remember from Ursula's online comic Digger), sailing on a snail shell, making new friends in the land and in the air, and fighting a fearsome mole.
A quick More...
A quick More...
May 19, 2009
Jen
rated it:
I ordered Nurk sight-unseen, as a fan of Ursula Vernon's art and her blog, and I wasn't disappointed.
It's a delightful story about Nurkus Aurelious Alonzo Electron Maximilian Shrew. Most folks just call him Nurk. He is the Bilbo Baggins of this adventure tale, and I fell in love with him immediately.
Though paced for children, Vernon's writing is clever enough for any adult with a well developed sense of whimsy to enjoy thoroughly, and the vocabulary level isn't at all ch More...
It's a delightful story about Nurkus Aurelious Alonzo Electron Maximilian Shrew. Most folks just call him Nurk. He is the Bilbo Baggins of this adventure tale, and I fell in love with him immediately.
Though paced for children, Vernon's writing is clever enough for any adult with a well developed sense of whimsy to enjoy thoroughly, and the vocabulary level isn't at all ch More...
Apr 30, 2009
Brandy
rated it:
A little slow and predictable, but still cute and fun all the same. I've been reading Vernon's webcomic Digger for years, and she's good at spinning the Epic Quest of a Reluctant Hero, but this didn't feel up to quite the same standard--maybe because she was going for a shorter, all-prose story? I dunno.
This will find its audience (3rd-5th graders, I'd guess), probably with fans of Despereaux-type stories. I wasn't wowed by it, but liked it okay--maybe 3.5 stars. More...
This will find its audience (3rd-5th graders, I'd guess), probably with fans of Despereaux-type stories. I wasn't wowed by it, but liked it okay--maybe 3.5 stars. More...
Dec 08, 2008
Kirsten
rated it:
Nurk is a classic children's book hero: he has always longed for adventure, but he remains at home, contemplating the fact that adventures probably involve a lack of dry socks. Still, he feels slightly ashamed that he has not lived up to the example of his grandmother, who was an adventurer extraordinaire. When a letter arrives with a blurred address, Nurk opens it. It is a plea for help from downstream -- but it is meant for his missing grandmother, not to him.
After panicking for More...
After panicking for More...
Jan 19, 2012
Lemurkat
rated it:
This delightful little book was a fun read. With its charming illustrations and entertaining text, it certainly kept me entertained. Vernon has a quirky sense of humour, funny without resorting to "toilet humour" and also engages in clever wordplay. Nurk's amazing adventure was a pleasure to read. Although the plot did feel rather linear - with few twists and surprises and not a great deal of tension. But there were some little quirks to liven it up. And the illustrations brought
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Dec 12, 2008
Kathyred
rated it:
Timid Nurk is a homebody shrew, but he has always admired his adventurous and rollicking grandmother Surka. He doesn't quite know how to start an adventure, but maybe someday. Then he mistakenly opens a letter w/ a desperate plea for help to his grandmother; so he builds a boat out of a snail shell, packs his good scissors, a raincoat and some clean socks and sets off downstream on his very own adventure. A sweet adventure story for 2-4th graders
Jul 05, 2010
Charlyn
rated it:
Nurk wants to be an adventuring warrior shrew like his grandmother Surka, but he's a not-so-brave orphan living in an ancestral tree. When a mysterious letter arrives with a plea for help, Nurk ignores the call until he finds Surka's journal and realizes he will never have an adventure if he doesn't go out and seek it. But can a small somewhat brave shrew be a hero?
Feb 27, 2010
Angela
rated it:
The imagery in this book was to die for. Loved the fish tree and the wall of mushrooms etc. I really wish that there was a Nurk 2 : The Search for Surka. That would make my life complete. I loved the universe that this took place in, largely because it's something in the same realm as Ursula's Digger Comic (and yes, Surka is a character there too).
Mar 10, 2009
K T
rated it:
I'd be totally thrilled if UrsulaV published some adult or young adult fiction. Nurk is nice, I'll give it to my ages 8 through 12 relatives. I loved all the bits about Surka, of course.
The illustrations were a lot like Digger (her webcomic), so if you like that you'll like this.
The illustrations were a lot like Digger (her webcomic), so if you like that you'll like this.
Sep 17, 2011
Lilly
rated it:
Nurk is yet another work of art from Ursula Vernon. I listen to this on my ipod all the time, and it never gets old. The voices in the recording sometimes have really weird inflections sometimes, so if you can get it in book form, do.
Jul 10, 2011
Tamara the Librarian
rated it:
Fun, well-written, short read about a shrew who ends up going on a rescue adventure when he opens a letter that was meant for his aunt. Some challenging vocabulary and subtle humor make it a decent read for smarter third and 4th graders.
Aug 18, 2008
Bobby
rated it:
Summary:
Nurk, a timid shrew, longs for adventure and gets his chance at it when he's mistakenly delivered a piece of mail intended for his daring but long-lost grandmother.
Strengths:
Nurk's a cute and likable character. I especially liked the beginning when he's preparing for his journey.
Weaknesses:
But once he goes on his adventure, the story becomes pretty typical for the little-critter-goes-on-a-big-journey genre. I found Vernon's world, which is a mix of realis More...
Nurk, a timid shrew, longs for adventure and gets his chance at it when he's mistakenly delivered a piece of mail intended for his daring but long-lost grandmother.
Strengths:
Nurk's a cute and likable character. I especially liked the beginning when he's preparing for his journey.
Weaknesses:
But once he goes on his adventure, the story becomes pretty typical for the little-critter-goes-on-a-big-journey genre. I found Vernon's world, which is a mix of realis More...
Sep 04, 2010
babyhippoface
rated it:
From the description, I didn't anticipate liking this book much. But I was pleasantly surprised. I found myself really enjoying the way Nurk's mind worked, and I chuckled out loud several times at the way he phrased things. While I didn't love it, I did think it was pretty cute. Younger kids who can read well and have a tendency toward shyness may really take a liking to Nurk.
Couple of quotes I liked:
"Surka spelled words as if they had personally offended her."
More...
Couple of quotes I liked:
"Surka spelled words as if they had personally offended her."
More...
Feb 07, 2009
Zonia
rated it:
Helped along by his brave grandmother's personal journal, this is a sweet story of a shrew's first big adventure to rescue the prince of the dragonflies. A great easy-to-read chapter book fantasy even for a timid soul.
Jan 23, 2009
Dawn
rated it:
This was a fun little book to read aloud to my kids. Thanks to my sister Wendy for recommending it. I liked the artwork. The sense of humor reminded me of my friend Rose.
Aug 25, 2011
Jean
rated it:
A shrew finds adventure and friends while trying to return a misaddressed letter in his snailboat.
I read this adorable book with Grant. Ursula Vernon's writing is charming.
I read this adorable book with Grant. Ursula Vernon's writing is charming.
Aug 20, 2009
Jennybeast
rated it:
A sweet, but not cloying, adventure story for those who aren't entirely sure about the attractions of adventure but appreciate warm socks. Totally delightful!
Jan 07, 2011
Heather
rated it:
This is a FABULOUS book, equal parts 'awww!' and 'wow!' Perfect for anyone looking for a whimsical adventure story.
May 12, 2009
Kathryn
rated it:
Give this to each and every 8-11 year old you know (then encourage them to sneak it to their parents when they're finished).
May 03, 2009
Matthew
rated it:
I read this with my daughter. I had to edit out some mentions of decapitation, but other than that this is a great book.
May 02, 2009
Heather
rated it:
This is a FABULOUS book, equal parts 'awww!' and 'wow!' Perfect for anyone looking for a whimsical adventure story.
Sep 11, 2009
Becca
rated it:
Heard about this book on the Lime N Violet podcast - this little shrew thinks clean, dry socks are very important! So cute!
