Nook
By Author / Illustrator
Sally Anne Garland
Genre
Friendship
Age range(s)
5+
Publisher
Phoenix International Publications, Incorporated
ISBN
9781503758483
Format
Hardback
Published
01-05-2021
Synopsis
Nook is small and shy, and she likes to sit in the cozy, comfy space of a hollow tree watching others play. When someone comes along to take Nook's space, she feels lost and afraid, until she discovers she has friends looking out for her in ways she never imagined! This gentle story explores shyness and sensory needs, and inspires kindness, inclusion, and friendship.
Reviews
Samantha
Nook is a rabbit who is presented as a small and shy character. She likes to sit alone watching the others play, gaining comfort from the reassurance that a wall, the space under a table or the cosy, comfy space of a hollow tree provide her with. Her friends give her the space she needs but from time to time, try to coax her out. She refuses, but lets her spirit rather than her body join her friends in play. When someone comes along to take Nook's space, she feels lost and afraid, until she discovers that she has friends looking out for her in ways that she never imagined. They show her that they will 'have her back' and protect her.
This gentle story explores shyness and sensory needs, and inspires kindness, inclusion, and friendship. We read this to our Key Stage One children in an assembly promoting kindness. The children showed empathy towards Nook and it generated much discussion about friendship, kindness and the importance of accepting that we are all different. Since our assembly Nook has become a popular choice to read in our library.
40 pages / Reviewed by Samantha Hughes
Suggested Reading Age 5+
Ashley
Nook is a simple story with beautiful pictures about friendship and Nook, the rabbit, being different from the other creatures in the class. I read this story to reception children who enjoyed the characters, looking at the illustrations and they all listened well and were able to discuss how Nook was feeling.
I think Nook would be suitable for older children, too, in KS1 who could then explore and discuss in a little more depth the acts of kindness in the story and how being different from others is always OK.
Picture book / Reviewed by Ashley Clayton, teacher
Suggested Reading Age 5+