Nubby by Dan Richards

Abstract

Reviewed by: Nubby by Dan Richards Natalie Berglind Richards, Dan Nubby; illus. by Shanda McCloskey. Knopf, 2023 [40p] Library ed. ISBN 9780593381106 $21.99 Trade ed. ISBN 9780593381090 $18.99 E-book ed. ISBN 9780593381113 $10.99 Reviewed from digital galleys R 4-7 yrs Nubby is fed up with his treatment as a beloved stuffed bunny in his household: “He had been carried, buried, dropped, dragged, torn, worn.” When the family dog takes Nubby outside, it’s the perfect time to get away and start fresh—especially with these fellow long-eared creatures in the backyard (“The resemblance was uncanny”). Unfortunately, Nubby goes mostly ignored by real bunnies, but he spots an opportunity when a little girl dressed as a magician comes by and puts him in her magic show. His fame doesn’t pan out the way he thinks it will, and his subsequent attempts to find wealth and riches just land him in a pile of dirt. Nubby starts to miss home, and when he eventually travels back (a kid finds him and recognizes him as a missing toy), he appreciates the finer things about living there, like cuddles. While the toy tired of its household is no new concept to picture books (see Wulfekotte’s recent Peanut Gets Fed Up, BCCB 4/22) the play between the text and imagery gives this one its own panache. Throughout the story, Nubby believes he has far more agency than he actually does, and his perception of the world is amusingly constrained: “Nubby was far from home, too far to turn back now” the text boldly proclaims as Nubby sits in the backyard where his family actively searches for him. Nubby’s world is drawn in fairly traditional watercolor with thick pen lines in digital ink, making Nubby a focal point against minimal backgrounds with plenty of negative space—his huge pink nose and grumpy, exaggerated unibrow contrast with the otherwise simple setting. 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. Copyright © 2022 The Board of Trustees of the University of Illinois