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Nurk: The Strange, Surprising Adventures of a (Somewhat) Brave Shrew
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 grandmother, Surka, and sets off to find the sender. It seems the prince of the dragonflies has been kidnapped, and Nurk is his last hope for rescue. Such a mission would be daunting for even the biggest, baddest, and bravest of shrews, and Nurk is neither big nor bad, and only a little brave. But he does his very best--and hopes his grandmother would be proud.
Nurk is a warm, wonderful, and hilarious illustrated adventure about courage, family legacies, and friendships of a most unusual nature.
Nurk is a warm, wonderful, and hilarious illustrated adventure about courage, family legacies, and friendships of a most unusual nature.
131 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 2008
60 people are currently reading
509 people want to read
About the author
Ursula Vernon
76 books1,508 followersUrsula Vernon, aka T. Kingfisher, is an author and illustrator. She has written over fifteen books for children, at least a dozen novels for adults, an epic webcomic called “Digger” and various short stories and other odds and ends.
Ursula grew up in Oregon and Arizona, studied anthropology at Macalester College in Minnesota, and stayed there for ten years, until she finally learned to drive in deep snow and was obligated to leave the state.
Having moved across the country several times, she eventually settled in Pittsboro, North Carolina, where she works full-time as an artist and creator of oddities. She lives with her husband and his chickens.
Her work has been nominated for the Eisner, World Fantasy, and longlisted for the British Science Fiction Awards. It has garnered a number of Webcomics Choice Awards, the Hugo Award for Best Graphic Story, the Mythopoeic Award for Children’s Literature, the Nebula for Best Short Story, the Sequoyah Award, and many others.
Ursula grew up in Oregon and Arizona, studied anthropology at Macalester College in Minnesota, and stayed there for ten years, until she finally learned to drive in deep snow and was obligated to leave the state.
Having moved across the country several times, she eventually settled in Pittsboro, North Carolina, where she works full-time as an artist and creator of oddities. She lives with her husband and his chickens.
Her work has been nominated for the Eisner, World Fantasy, and longlisted for the British Science Fiction Awards. It has garnered a number of Webcomics Choice Awards, the Hugo Award for Best Graphic Story, the Mythopoeic Award for Children’s Literature, the Nebula for Best Short Story, the Sequoyah Award, and many others.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 197 reviews
June 23, 2022
The best plan for any sensible adventurer is to sweep in, take the throne, live like a king for a few weeks, and then sneak out in the middle of the night before people start asking unpleasant questions about road maintenance and tax relief.
I came across Nurk for $1.99 at a bookstore, and even though I had only been slightly interested in Ursula Vernon / T. Kingfisher's middlegrade stuff, I couldn't resist. I loved the cover that Vernon illustrated herself (plus interior black and white illustrations), I knew there wouldn't be a cringey Kingfisher romance, and hey, it was $2. Score.
Nurk, short for Nurkus Aurelius Alonzo Electron Maximilian Shrew, is living a quiet life in a willow tree by a river when he receives a mysterious letter asking for help. It's addressed to his famous and presumed dead grandmother, Surka the warrior shrew, but Nurk ends up setting out for his very first adventure instead. He's fully armed with his grandmother's diary, good scissors, and several pairs of clean socks ("He didn't know what kind of adventure he would have, but he knew that very few things are much fun when all you can think about is how wet and cold your feet are").
Nurk is a cute, quick read that owes something to The Hobbit but with Vernon's earthy quirkiness: clean socks and hayfever, for example, are key plot elements, and her villains are inspired by the weirder bits of biology (star-nosed moles! fungi! giant caterpillars!). The horror elements are toned down, but the writing never veers into cutesyness, and some of the humor is rather dry and probably best appreciated by adults, especially the excerpts from Surka's diary and Nurk's close brush with...mail fraud.
The broad outline of the story is predictable, as is timid Nurk's personality development. I think my favorite parts of the book are when Vernon describes the river and its denizens - the cryptic talk of salamanders, the chorus of the frogs (had not thought about it, but Hnaaaaagh! is a very good way to describe how bullfrogs sound), the bossy hummingbird postal carrier, the mercurial eddies and flows of a river. And I agree, herons are terrifying!
I probably won't remember anything about this book in six months, but it was fun while it lasted. 3.5 stars.
July 13, 2021
Travel is broadening.
Also sometimes slimenating.
Also sometimes slimenating.
September 17, 2023
Jennifer liked it:
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
Nurk "is living a quiet life in a willow tree by a river when he receives a mysterious letter asking for help. It's addressed to his famous and presumed dead grandmother, Surka the warrior shrew, but Nurk ends up setting out for his very first adventure instead. He's fully armed with his grandmother's diary, good scissors, and several pairs of clean socks ("He didn't know what kind of adventure he would have, but he knew that very few things are much fun when all you can think about is how wet and cold your feet are")." Heh.
I liked it too. More of a kid's book than YA, but still fun after a bit of a slow start. Once Nurk gets his snailboat underway, following in the steps of his missing grandmother, the famed warrior Surka Aurelia Maxine Shrew, and encounters Princess Scatterwings of the Gruesome Grape nailpolish. Wait: do dragonflies really have toenails? No matter. Nurk to the rescue! As his grandma Surka once wrote in her Journal: "OMG! It's the hideous Spine-crested acid-drooling Beast of the Nethermost Mires! And it's coming this way! Neat!" Nurk's packing of extra Clean Socks pays off in the climactic rescue scene. And that's the boon he asks of the King: more clean, dry socks! 4 stars, recommended reading, especially for Ursula Vernon fans.
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
Nurk "is living a quiet life in a willow tree by a river when he receives a mysterious letter asking for help. It's addressed to his famous and presumed dead grandmother, Surka the warrior shrew, but Nurk ends up setting out for his very first adventure instead. He's fully armed with his grandmother's diary, good scissors, and several pairs of clean socks ("He didn't know what kind of adventure he would have, but he knew that very few things are much fun when all you can think about is how wet and cold your feet are")." Heh.
I liked it too. More of a kid's book than YA, but still fun after a bit of a slow start. Once Nurk gets his snailboat underway, following in the steps of his missing grandmother, the famed warrior Surka Aurelia Maxine Shrew, and encounters Princess Scatterwings of the Gruesome Grape nailpolish. Wait: do dragonflies really have toenails? No matter. Nurk to the rescue! As his grandma Surka once wrote in her Journal: "OMG! It's the hideous Spine-crested acid-drooling Beast of the Nethermost Mires! And it's coming this way! Neat!" Nurk's packing of extra Clean Socks pays off in the climactic rescue scene. And that's the boon he asks of the King: more clean, dry socks! 4 stars, recommended reading, especially for Ursula Vernon fans.
January 2, 2026
Just your average story of a shrew setting out in a snailboat to return a piece of misdelivered mail, only to get entangled in a rescue mission.
Whether the author wants to go by Ursula Vernon to T. Kingfisher her absurdly delightful imagination shines through. I wanted a quick read for my Kindle as I waited for May and my first month-long Readathon to begin. I began plugging in authors in Kindle Unlimited and finally came up with the cute and absurd adventure from the oughts.
Whether the author wants to go by Ursula Vernon to T. Kingfisher her absurdly delightful imagination shines through. I wanted a quick read for my Kindle as I waited for May and my first month-long Readathon to begin. I began plugging in authors in Kindle Unlimited and finally came up with the cute and absurd adventure from the oughts.
December 30, 2021
A fantastically silly and fun little adventure, that might accidentally scare the pants off an adult for a line or two and then immediately revert back to a cheery children’s adventure story.
I’m serious. The salmon tree and the masked heron were just fascinatingly upsetting, though only seen in passing. It was like catching a glimpse of another world.
I suspect this book to be a good fit for readers who like Mrs Frisby and the Rats of Nimh, Alice in Wonderland, The Phantom Tollbooth, or The Hobbit.
But the salmon tree! Not ripe! *shudders*
I’m serious. The salmon tree and the masked heron were just fascinatingly upsetting, though only seen in passing. It was like catching a glimpse of another world.
I suspect this book to be a good fit for readers who like Mrs Frisby and the Rats of Nimh, Alice in Wonderland, The Phantom Tollbooth, or The Hobbit.
But the salmon tree! Not ripe! *shudders*
May 27, 2010
I have a total author-crush on Vernon. I would literary do her.
November 15, 2008
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. Nurk happily lives in the willow occupied by his family for multiple seasons. He lovingly admires his grandmother, Lady Surka, whose bravery and magnificent tales of adventure are aptly portrayed within a photo hanging in the willow. Lady Surka is holding her sword in one hand and brandishing the severed head of her enemy in the other. Nurk wants to be as adventurous and strong as she is and is provided the opportunity in the form of a misdirected letter. Sweet tales of snailboat building, glorious dragonfly monarchies and an evil, freakishly tentacled mole the size of a mountain make for a shrew adventure perfect for reading aloud to little ones on a cold, rainy day.
Critical Reviews :Tim Wadham from the School Library Journal writes, "Vernon's writing shows some flair, but overall the story's effectiveness is hampered by some slow parts and a plot that relies on predictable contrivance and coincidence." While Kirkus Reviews noted, "Nurk's adventure, and the tone in which it's related, will remind readers of Stuart Little's quest." I agree slightly but would include a touch of the "Wind in the Willows" and "The Tale of Despereaux."
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. Nurk happily lives in the willow occupied by his family for multiple seasons. He lovingly admires his grandmother, Lady Surka, whose bravery and magnificent tales of adventure are aptly portrayed within a photo hanging in the willow. Lady Surka is holding her sword in one hand and brandishing the severed head of her enemy in the other. Nurk wants to be as adventurous and strong as she is and is provided the opportunity in the form of a misdirected letter. Sweet tales of snailboat building, glorious dragonfly monarchies and an evil, freakishly tentacled mole the size of a mountain make for a shrew adventure perfect for reading aloud to little ones on a cold, rainy day.
Critical Reviews :Tim Wadham from the School Library Journal writes, "Vernon's writing shows some flair, but overall the story's effectiveness is hampered by some slow parts and a plot that relies on predictable contrivance and coincidence." While Kirkus Reviews noted, "Nurk's adventure, and the tone in which it's related, will remind readers of Stuart Little's quest." I agree slightly but would include a touch of the "Wind in the Willows" and "The Tale of Despereaux."
August 30, 2023
An adorable little adventure involving a shrew, some unusual dragonflies, and a trusty boat.
This was everything you want and expect from an Ursula Vernon (aka T. Kingfisher) story. Whimsical details, quirky worldbuilding, and occasionally hilarious writing.
More than anything, Nurk wanted to be like his grandmother Surka the warrior shrew. She had been a fighter, a dishwasher, and a pirate queen, and he was very proud to be related to her.
I liked the bits from his grandmother's diary that precede each chapter.
"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."
And I especially liked that when Nurk makes a boat out of a snail shell, he names it the Snailboat. OF COURSE. Isn't it annoying when a pun like this is so obvious that it's brilliant?
For a middle reader (or younger) book, this got surprisingly horror-like toward the end, with disgusting slime-dripping caterpillars, fungal clouds, and a giant blind mole with huge tentacles on its nose......I would have LOVED this as a kid.
So yeah, I really enjoyed this, and I can check off yet another Vernon/Kingfisher book.
This was everything you want and expect from an Ursula Vernon (aka T. Kingfisher) story. Whimsical details, quirky worldbuilding, and occasionally hilarious writing.
More than anything, Nurk wanted to be like his grandmother Surka the warrior shrew. She had been a fighter, a dishwasher, and a pirate queen, and he was very proud to be related to her.
I liked the bits from his grandmother's diary that precede each chapter.
"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."
And I especially liked that when Nurk makes a boat out of a snail shell, he names it the Snailboat. OF COURSE. Isn't it annoying when a pun like this is so obvious that it's brilliant?
For a middle reader (or younger) book, this got surprisingly horror-like toward the end, with disgusting slime-dripping caterpillars, fungal clouds, and a giant blind mole with huge tentacles on its nose......I would have LOVED this as a kid.
So yeah, I really enjoyed this, and I can check off yet another Vernon/Kingfisher book.
August 4, 2024
A slightly timid shrew receives a letter, which is an entreaty for help, meant for his adventurous grandmother (believed deceased).
At first Nurk is more concerned that he mistakenly opened a letter meant for someone else, but eventually comes around to thinking he should follow up with the letter writer, since he’s related to his famous grandmother.
Fashioning himself a boat, he heads out on the river, and eventually, meets the writer, a dragonfly princess, agrees to help her father the King rescue her brother, who is held by an evil mole.
Nurk must deal with all sorts of terrible and scary things, but is successful.
Though still new to the idea of adventuring, Nurk finds himself agreeing to rescue the prince, much to his surprise, and he sets out, encountering scary things and the terrifying mole.
Ursula Vernon’s Nurk is a wonderful character who takes to adventure reluctantly, but proves his grandmother’s daring spirit runs through his veins, albeit a little less flamboyantly. He transforms believably, discovers more within himself than expected, and each step forward he takes, he becomes a little braver. It's a sweet and funny story.
At first Nurk is more concerned that he mistakenly opened a letter meant for someone else, but eventually comes around to thinking he should follow up with the letter writer, since he’s related to his famous grandmother.
Fashioning himself a boat, he heads out on the river, and eventually, meets the writer, a dragonfly princess, agrees to help her father the King rescue her brother, who is held by an evil mole.
Nurk must deal with all sorts of terrible and scary things, but is successful.
Though still new to the idea of adventuring, Nurk finds himself agreeing to rescue the prince, much to his surprise, and he sets out, encountering scary things and the terrifying mole.
Ursula Vernon’s Nurk is a wonderful character who takes to adventure reluctantly, but proves his grandmother’s daring spirit runs through his veins, albeit a little less flamboyantly. He transforms believably, discovers more within himself than expected, and each step forward he takes, he becomes a little braver. It's a sweet and funny story.
March 10, 2020
A beautiful kid's adventure story!! Well-paced, well-adventured, quite funny, and pretty traditional on the beats (but we rescue an adorable dragon prince!!)
I am currently out of new (and old) T Kingfisher stories so I have begun plumbing the Children's Section of the library. Also, I was looking for another story to memorize and tell aloud for the Augusta Bakers Dozen celebration, and I feel certain that there is probably a Vernon story out there that I can make work!! I just have to find it!
I am currently out of new (and old) T Kingfisher stories so I have begun plumbing the Children's Section of the library. Also, I was looking for another story to memorize and tell aloud for the Augusta Bakers Dozen celebration, and I feel certain that there is probably a Vernon story out there that I can make work!! I just have to find it!
June 17, 2019
I've been reading a few of Ursula Vernon's books as potential reads to pass along to my niece and nephew. This one is pretty cute, a sweet little story about Nurk, a timid little shrew who finds himself swept along on an adventure by a soggy letter and mysterious call for help. It's not as precious as Castle Hangnail, but if I were 6 I'm sure I would love this to pieces. Certainly worthy of passing along.
December 17, 2013
I do SO enjoy Ursula Vernon's sense of humor. I need a child to share this with.
March 2, 2024
Ursula Vernon, these days better known by her pen name T Kingfisher, wrote this charming little story about a not-so-brave shrew going in search of his grandmother. Think a less stressful Finding Nemo, a less dangerous The Hobbit, and a far less annoying The Wind in the Willows. Genuinely chuckle out loud funny and warm hearted, this is a cozy keeper! Highly recommended.
***
GR Personal Rating System:
★★★★★ 5 Stars ~ LOVED
★★★★☆ 4 Stars ~ ENJOYED
★★★☆☆ 3 Stars ~ LIKED
★★☆☆☆ 2 Stars ~ MEH
★☆☆☆☆ 1 Star ~ NOPE
***
GR Personal Rating System:
★★★★★ 5 Stars ~ LOVED
★★★★☆ 4 Stars ~ ENJOYED
★★★☆☆ 3 Stars ~ LIKED
★★☆☆☆ 2 Stars ~ MEH
★☆☆☆☆ 1 Star ~ NOPE
October 1, 2025
5 stars!
Such an adorable story, I really enjoyed this one.
"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 yOU REmeMBeR wHy YoU waNTed To go awAy ON ADveNtUReS iN ThE FiRST PLAce."
Such an adorable story, I really enjoyed this one.
"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 yOU REmeMBeR wHy YoU waNTed To go awAy ON ADveNtUReS iN ThE FiRST PLAce."
November 5, 2019
A wonderful book for middle graders, and me, too! I love the way the author writes about nature.
July 6, 2020
Oh I LOVE this.
March 3, 2021
(bought this for a gift, but couldn't just leave it unread)
Short, lovely tale.
Short, lovely tale.
May 26, 2021
Simply cute and charming
August 7, 2021
A delightful book about a Shrew. Ursula Vernon draws charming pictures to go along with this fun adventure story!
March 11, 2022
3 1/2 stars. Very sweet,often funny.
March 13, 2022
A charming, extremely Vernon-esque adventure with rather Hobbit-esque vibes.
August 13, 2023
3.5 stars
May 18, 2025
Vernon's books are now and forever a delight, regardless of the age of their target audience. Thoroughly enjoyable, and the illustrations are fantastic.
June 6, 2023
Very cute. Would be a great book to prepare little ones for The Hobbit (small and humble reluctant heroes who decide to go on an adventure!) This one has a snail boat 🐌⛵️
November 21, 2024
the most fun and random little free library find
December 20, 2011
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 family legacy to live up to (his grandmother Surka was quite the adventurer). In the end, his honesty, loyalty, and quick-thinking are what pull him through the challenges he faces.
We found an ARC copy of Dragonbreath: Attack of the Ninja Frogs on the free shelf at our library, and I thought it was amusing. But when I brought home another Dragonbreath, my 8yo told me he didn't really enjoy the first one. I saw Nurk was by the same author so I decided to give it a chance, and I'm glad I did - we enjoyed it so much I'm going to buy it for our home library.
Because I work with mammalogists, I wondered a bit about some of the natural history. For example, I know shrews are tiny, but how can dragonflies be so much larger? Clearly they are mysterious magical dragonflies. Dragonflies don't even live long enough to establish kingdoms and hierarchies. The part about the (star-nosed) mole half as big as a mountain was funny - making (half) a mountain out of a mole (hill)...
Quote from Grandma Surka's diary: "Being in charge isn't much fun. Sure, you can sleep in late, but there are so many things to worry about all the time. The best plan for any sensible adventurer is to sweep in, take the throne, live like a king for a few weeks, and then sneak out in the middle of the night before people start asking unpleasant questions about road maintenance and tax relief." (p 59)
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 family legacy to live up to (his grandmother Surka was quite the adventurer). In the end, his honesty, loyalty, and quick-thinking are what pull him through the challenges he faces.
We found an ARC copy of Dragonbreath: Attack of the Ninja Frogs on the free shelf at our library, and I thought it was amusing. But when I brought home another Dragonbreath, my 8yo told me he didn't really enjoy the first one. I saw Nurk was by the same author so I decided to give it a chance, and I'm glad I did - we enjoyed it so much I'm going to buy it for our home library.
Because I work with mammalogists, I wondered a bit about some of the natural history. For example, I know shrews are tiny, but how can dragonflies be so much larger? Clearly they are mysterious magical dragonflies. Dragonflies don't even live long enough to establish kingdoms and hierarchies. The part about the (star-nosed) mole half as big as a mountain was funny - making (half) a mountain out of a mole (hill)...
Quote from Grandma Surka's diary: "Being in charge isn't much fun. Sure, you can sleep in late, but there are so many things to worry about all the time. The best plan for any sensible adventurer is to sweep in, take the throne, live like a king for a few weeks, and then sneak out in the middle of the night before people start asking unpleasant questions about road maintenance and tax relief." (p 59)
January 17, 2016
I love Ursula Vernon's art and I love her descriptions of her work, but I don't think she has a grasp of storytelling. Her ideas are cute and imaginative, but I don't think they fit well into a book. Her narrative is awkward and it mixes childlike aspects and adult aspects into one novel; I feel like the result is, as I said, awkward. Plus, I was often bored with the plot. The book is very long for a story about a shrew that only goes downriver and saves a dragonfly from a mole.
Also, I was confused with the rules for this world that Vernon created. A shrew and a salamander are real creatures. At first, they gave a very Milne like feel to the story. But the dragonfly wasn't really a dragonfly, and the snail shell was bigger than the shrew (which makes no sense) and fish grew in trees and the oars were made out of flimsy leaves (which wouldn't work) and the mast would never work with the way the drawing depicts it. Hence why her individual ideas (I believe the fish tree was one, and the dragonflies were another) work by themselves, but not when they are woven into a story. It seemed like Vernon mixed fantasy with an exaggerated reality, and I don't think it worked. So I won't be reading any more of her books, even though I will continue to love her art and her witty descriptions (that didn't work well when they were elongated into a book).
A quick post script - Vernon has made me truly realize how bad it is to use "Um" and "Uh" within dialogue. Never saw how bad it was before I read her. It's a waste of space, even if it is realistic. Those should be used with EXTREME discretion.
Also, I was confused with the rules for this world that Vernon created. A shrew and a salamander are real creatures. At first, they gave a very Milne like feel to the story. But the dragonfly wasn't really a dragonfly, and the snail shell was bigger than the shrew (which makes no sense) and fish grew in trees and the oars were made out of flimsy leaves (which wouldn't work) and the mast would never work with the way the drawing depicts it. Hence why her individual ideas (I believe the fish tree was one, and the dragonflies were another) work by themselves, but not when they are woven into a story. It seemed like Vernon mixed fantasy with an exaggerated reality, and I don't think it worked. So I won't be reading any more of her books, even though I will continue to love her art and her witty descriptions (that didn't work well when they were elongated into a book).
A quick post script - Vernon has made me truly realize how bad it is to use "Um" and "Uh" within dialogue. Never saw how bad it was before I read her. It's a waste of space, even if it is realistic. Those should be used with EXTREME discretion.
August 16, 2017
Nurk, by Ursula Vernon, is very loosely linked to her much larger work, Digger. If you have read that work recently enough, you might remember the character Surka, who is both a shrew, and a troll.
Nurk is the grandchild of Surka, and is living the quiet life and dreaming of going adventuring like his grandmother. When a water spattered letter arrives, enough of the addressees name is obscured that Nurk feels comfortable in opening it, assuming that it is for him. When he works out that a) it isn't, and b) it is a plea for help, he is greatly terrified - both of the consequences of opening someone else's mail, and that there is an adventure that needs having, and there is no-one to have it. Nurk chooses to go to find the sender of the letter, with the intention of apologising, returning the letter, and then sneaking off home.
As with many things in life, the links between plan and what happens are tenuous. Nurk does find the sender of the letter, and does make it home, it is just the details in the middle that vary from his plan.
Unlike Digger, this is an almost entirely text work. It presents as a children's book - and I think it does a very good job of presenting scary situations in ways that don't cover up the danger, but also don't over-emphasise them.
(afterthought - I really liked the theme of the young male trying to live up to the reputation of his grandmother. Strong, wonderful, (absent,) grandmothers don't show up enough in fiction)
Nurk is the grandchild of Surka, and is living the quiet life and dreaming of going adventuring like his grandmother. When a water spattered letter arrives, enough of the addressees name is obscured that Nurk feels comfortable in opening it, assuming that it is for him. When he works out that a) it isn't, and b) it is a plea for help, he is greatly terrified - both of the consequences of opening someone else's mail, and that there is an adventure that needs having, and there is no-one to have it. Nurk chooses to go to find the sender of the letter, with the intention of apologising, returning the letter, and then sneaking off home.
As with many things in life, the links between plan and what happens are tenuous. Nurk does find the sender of the letter, and does make it home, it is just the details in the middle that vary from his plan.
Unlike Digger, this is an almost entirely text work. It presents as a children's book - and I think it does a very good job of presenting scary situations in ways that don't cover up the danger, but also don't over-emphasise them.
(afterthought - I really liked the theme of the young male trying to live up to the reputation of his grandmother. Strong, wonderful, (absent,) grandmothers don't show up enough in fiction)
December 8, 2008
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 a day or so about the potential legal consequences of opening someone else's mail, Nurk decides that since his grandmother is missing, it is up to him to answer the call for help, or at the very least return the letter and apologize for opening it. And thus begins his strange and surprising adventures.
There are no real surprise twists or unexpected turns in the plot, but this is still a highly enjoyable adventure story for young readers. It is made even more enjoyable by Ursula Vernon's wonderful illustrations and quirky sense of humor, and while I don't know that it will become a classic, it will certainly make an impression on any kid who picks it up.
After panicking for a day or so about the potential legal consequences of opening someone else's mail, Nurk decides that since his grandmother is missing, it is up to him to answer the call for help, or at the very least return the letter and apologize for opening it. And thus begins his strange and surprising adventures.
There are no real surprise twists or unexpected turns in the plot, but this is still a highly enjoyable adventure story for young readers. It is made even more enjoyable by Ursula Vernon's wonderful illustrations and quirky sense of humor, and while I don't know that it will become a classic, it will certainly make an impression on any kid who picks it up.
April 12, 2009
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 going faster than he's ever seen it go, and then, remembering that its former owner was a snail, he decides it's going faster than it's ever gone.)
I do kind of feel that the book could have made better use of the fact that it's almost entirely populated by creatures smaller than my hand. This "river," for instance -- if it's more than a little trickle, then it ought to look like the ocean to a shrew; none of the land-dwelling creatures his own size would ever have seen the other side of it. I wish the landscape had been more alien.
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 going faster than he's ever seen it go, and then, remembering that its former owner was a snail, he decides it's going faster than it's ever gone.)
I do kind of feel that the book could have made better use of the fact that it's almost entirely populated by creatures smaller than my hand. This "river," for instance -- if it's more than a little trickle, then it ought to look like the ocean to a shrew; none of the land-dwelling creatures his own size would ever have seen the other side of it. I wish the landscape had been more alien.
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