Description

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"Nelson writes with extraordinary sensitivity. . . . Ering’s brilliantly drafted artwork sweeps. . . . Triumphant." — Publishers Weekly (starred review)

Abba Jacob is a monk who lives on a faraway island with his loyal terrier, Snook. Every day, from the wee hours of dawn till the sun sets over the sea, Snook keeps Abba Jacob company. But when the two are separated by a ferocious storm, Snook must learn to fend for himself in the wild, alone in a world of fierceness and wonder. Will he ever again hear the loving voice that he waits for? Lyrically told by poet Marilyn Nelson and beautifully illustrated by Timothy Basil Ering, this moving tale of friendship lost and found is a story of faith against all odds.

About the Author

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Praise For…

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Nelson's moving portrait of Snook and his triumphant reuinion should win a wide and enthusiastic audience.
—Publishers Weekly (starred review)

Breathtaking multimedia paintings offset by expressive line drawings amplify the power of the image-rich, heartfelt free-verse text. Ever eschewing manipulation, it nevertheless could wring tears from stone.
—Kirkus Reviews (starred review)

Acrylic and ink art depicts heavy- and light-hearted moments equally well, and while Snook and the ever-present ocean are painted realistically, Ering's cartoony representation of Abba Jacob lightens the load, balancing the story's darker moments.
—The Horn Book (starred review)

Haunting and perceptive. . . . Nelson writes in delicate stanzas of effortless poetry. . . . Ering's acrylic-and-ink fades from the bright palette of the monk's abode to a nearly two-tone earthiness, and creates a style both realistic and emotional - you can almost feel the generous swaths of paint. The final reuniting is sudden, yet as genuine as everything else about the book. There is no artifice here, no foisted plot. Just a dog, waiting to resume his happiness.
—Booklist (starred review)

Nelson's text-though prose, still poetically lyrical-depicts both island idyll and doggy reality—There's an open-air breeziness to Ering's mixed-media illustrations— Snook is portrayed with a fair amount of informal realism, while baldheaded and spindly-limbed Abba Jacob is endearingly cartoonish, but their reunion-Snook bouncing into the air with glee, and both man and dog open-mouthed with joyous relief-visually encapsulates the inner boogie of jubilation such a meeting can bring.
—Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books (starred review)

In charming acrylic and ink spot art that erupts into luscious colorful spreads, readers see these two friends go about their simple yet meaningful days...The poetry of the text evokes all the senses and pulls at the emotions. This book will capture the heart of anyone who has ever loved and been loved by a special pet.
—School Library Journal (starred review)