Nubby

by Dan Richards, Shanda McCloskey (Illustrator)

Overview

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.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780593381090
Publisher:	Random House Children's Books
Publication date:	01/03/2023
Pages:	40
Sales rank:	200,774
Product dimensions:	8.60(w) x 11.10(h) x 0.40(d)
Lexile:	AD550L (what's this?)
Age Range:	3 - 7 Years

About the Author

Dan Richards is a graduate of the University of Washington's Writing for Children Program, where he wrote his debut picture book, The Problem with NOT Being Scared of Monsters. He is also the author of Can One Balloon Make an Elephant Fly?, Once Upon a Goat, Penny and Penelope, and the middle grade novel Stu Truly. Dan loves telling stories and talking about the craft of writing. School visits make him happy. He lives with his family in Bothell, WA. Learn more about Dan at danrichardsbooks.com or on Twitter at @author_dan.

Shanda McCloskey comes from a whole family of different kinds of artists and entrepreneurs! She studied art in Atlanta and New York City. Before writing and illustrating kids' books, she taught art to high schoolers. Shanda now lives in Ball Ground, Georgia, with her husband, daughters, and dog! She is a co-creator of AuthorVisitCentral.com and the Author Visit Podcast. Her first books about robots (or anything for that matter) are DOLL-E 1.0 and the companion story, T-Bone the Drone. Learn more about Shanda at shandamc.com, on Instagram at @ShandaMcCloskeydraws, or on Twitter at @ShandaMcCloskey.

Editorial Reviews

11/07/2022

When readers first meet Nubby, a blue rabbit stuffy, he’s the unhappy center of a tug-of-war between two white-presenting kids. A parent restores Nubby to his loving owner, but having been literally stretched to the limit, the rabbit decides he is “done.” He soon runs away, relying on a dog to move him about. But freedom—and hopes of friends, fame, and fortune—aren’t what he thinks they will be. Real rabbits ignore him, getting pulled out of a hat in a backyard magic show offers only fleeting glamour, and “fortunes can be lost as easily as they can be found.” By the time Nubby is retrieved from a dirt pile where the dog has dropped him in favor of a buried bone, Nubby knows where he belongs: “playing with his boy.” Messaging from Richards (Once upon a Goat) veers into well-trod Velveteen Rabbit territory (“It had been messy and loud and unruly. But it had also been close, and unspoken, and... real”), but Nubby’s reminiscences make the bunny’s self-important crankiness both funny and relatable. Digitized watercolor and pencil drawings by McCloskey (Little Red and the Big Bad Editor), a breezy counterpoint to the story’s explanatory feel, keep the action moving at a fast clip. Ages 3–7. Author’s agent: Ammi-Joan Paquette, Erin Murphy Literary. Illustrator’s agent: Erica Rand Silverman, Stimola Literary. (Jan.)

Publishers Weekly

2022-09-28
A toy rabbit realizes the value of home.

Nubby is a blue stuffed rabbit with a thick black unibrow. Fed up with being “carried, buried, dropped, dragged, torn, worn, chewed on, sat on, and even used as a nose wipe,” he sets off into “the great wide world” (aka the cul-de-sac near his home) for a new beginning. Aided (or, rather, carried) by a mischievous dog, he meets some real rabbits, who ignore him. Picked up by an aspiring magician (a child with tan skin and dark hair), he tries his hand (or paw) at fame, and when that doesn’t work out, he goes looking for fortune, digging for treasure with his canine pal. Far from home (across the street), he longs for his little boy—who has peach skin and a blond bowl cut—and the love he once had. Luckily, Nubby is able to hitch a ride home and returns to his life of being loved very hard, this time appreciating “being nuzzled, snuggled, cuddled, clutched, bathed, bundled, squeezed, smooched, and utterly adored” in between all the carrying, burying, dropping, dragging, and chewing. Illustrated with simple black lines, the watercolor, pencil, and digital artwork is attractive and laced with humor; Nubby’s trials are standard fare for a favorite toy but sweet to see nonetheless. (This book was reviewed digitally.)

A gentle acknowledgment that it’s a hard life being a hard-loved stuffed animal. (Picture book. 1-5)

Kirkus Reviews

"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’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

"A worthy tribute to all the beleaguered, beloved toys who serve as constant, comforting companions through childhood.” —BookPage

From the Publisher