Chosen for Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library!
A beloved but overworked toy strikes out on his own to find glory—only to find that the best rewards were at home all along in this sweet and funny picture book that is perfect for fans of Toy Story and Knuffle Bunny.
Nubby the stuffed rabbit is his owner’s favorite toy, but you wouldn’t know it from the way he’s treated. He’s been dropped, dragged, and even used as a nose wipe. He decides to strike out for a fresh start, and his adventure takes him across the realm—or at least around the cul-de-sac—in search of treasure, fame, and glory. But these rewards aren’t as sweet as Nubby hoped they’d be. What’s missing?
As Nubby travels through the neighborhood, his owner’s family begins to search for him. Nubby’s journey might not have taken him far, but it does teach him one thing: no amount of glory could replace the love of his owner.
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Awards:
Reviews:
“Nubby’s reminiscences make the bunny’s self-important crankiness both funny and relatable.”—Publishers Weekly
“Both text and pictures are energetic and funny….A very happy ending has the bunny nestled together with his boy (and pup), each one with a new appreciation for the other.” —The Horn Book
“Those who play roughly with their toys may think twice about this story, and the wryness of Nubby’s hopes that fames and riches will solve all his problems is a bonus for older folks reading to younger ones.”—Bulletin
“Nubby is filled with hilarious illustrations and well-written prose that begs to be read aloud. Illustrator Shanda McCloskey excels at creating emotions from simple lines and shapes. Nubby exudes dour displeasure as he’s picked and pulled at, his angry unibrow a single thick squiggle. He can’t speak to protest his rough treatment, since his mouth is merely a thin vertical line descending from a pink triangle nose. Despite the many injustices Nubby endures, there’s also buoyant joy in McCloskey’s illustrations, from the dog who is all too happy to run around the neighborhood with Nubby in his mouth to the gratitude of the boy who hugs Nubby tightly upon his return and, yes, still sometimes uses our hero as a hankie … Nubby is a worthy tribute to all the beleaguered, beloved toys who serve as constant, comforting companions through childhood.” –BookPage
“McCloskey, working in pencil, watercolor, and digitally, gives Nubby’s character great expression. She brings out Nubby’s sweetness both in his frustration and his joy. And all the peripheral characters and Nubby’s world are sweetly rendered, too. Her illustrations also give us a peripheral story, not told in the text, that shows us the story of a sibling, both nemesis and hero, and the return of the homesick stuffy. The illustrations throughout the book are engaging and capture the feelings of every person or animal in the moment. The end pages are aerials of his neighborhood and of just where Nubby went on his adventure in the “great wide world.” And, of course, any book with a map….” –Kevan Atteberry, Picture Book Builders
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