Nurk: The Strange, Surprising Adventures of a (Somewhat) Brave Shrew (Hardcover)

~ (Author)
Key Phrases: dragonfly princess, mushroom wall, young shrew, Prince Flicker, Grandma Surka, Aunt Wilhelmina (more...)

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

Grade 1–4—When Nurk opens a letter addressed to his grandmother, Surka, his first concern is that he has committed mail fraud. After discovering his adventurous grandmother's journal, in which she vowed to take risks, his second thought is that he should return the missive. He builds a boat out of a snail shell and heads down the river. He discovers that the letter was sent by the Princess of the Dragonflies, soliciting Surka's help. The king informs Nurk that the prince needs rescuing from Grizzlemole, an oversize blind mole and a generally terrible creature. Nurk bravely takes on the quest and, with help from passages in the journal, succeeds fairly easily. Each chapter includes an undistinguished heavy-line black-and-white ink drawing. Vernon's writing shows some flair, but overall the story's effectiveness is hampered by some slow parts and a plot that relies on predictable contrivance and coincidence.—Tim Wadham, St. Louis County Library, MO
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Product Description

Nurk is a quiet homebody of a shrew. But when a mysterious plea for help arrives in the mail, he invokes the spirit of his fearless warrior-shrew grandmother, Surka, and sets off to find the sender. It seems the prince of the dragonflies has been kidnapped, and Nurk is his last hope for rescue. Such a mission would be daunting for even the biggest, baddest, and bravest of shrews, and Nurk is neither big nor bad, and only a little brave. But he does his very best--and hopes his grandmother would be proud.

      

Nurk is a warm, wonderful, and hilarious illustrated adventure about courage, family legacies, and friendships of a most unusual nature.

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Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 9-12
  
• Hardcover: 144 pages
• Publisher: Harcourt Children's Books; 1 edition (June 1, 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0152063757
• ISBN-13: 978-0152063757
• Product Dimensions: 8.4 x 5.7 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 11.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (15 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #161,600 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars An all-around, soon-to-be classic, May 2, 2008

By	C. J. Reno "bibliophile" (Bowie, MD) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

If you're looking for a book the whole family can enjoy -- this is the book. If you're looking for a book for your pre-teens with a vocabulary-expanding text and winsome illustrations -- this is the book. If your child is not quite ready for the Redwall series, but you'd like to introduce them to that type of literature -- this is the book. If you're looking for something to read out loud to keep your children entertained on a wet summer afternoon or a long car ride, this is the book.

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent book!, May 5, 2008

By	Dredwolff (NC, USA) - See all my reviews

This book is targeted towards a younger audience, and I still really enjoyed it! It's a very imaginative story of an uncertain hero who lets his openness to adventure take him on a wild journey.

I like books whose artwork is done by the author, because you know what you are seeing is really coming from the mind of the author and not interpreted by someone else. Since the author is also a really good artist, this combo comes together seamlessly.

I look forward to reading more of Ursula Vernon's stories, if her future books are anywhere near as creative and fun as this one then she'll go far.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A wonderful tale, May 1, 2008

By	Andrea Jaszlics (Golden, CO USA) - See all my reviews

I have loved Ursula's art for years, and have religiously followed her comic "Digger," so I came to this book expecting great things from Ursula as both a storyteller and an artist. I was not disappointed. Nurk is, of course, a children's book, and as such, lacks much of the overt darkness that characterizes some of her other work: instead, it is a light "There and back again" sort of adventure, beautifully told.

Nurk is a delightful character, whose bravery is altogether believeable; he starts out, as many heroes do, unsure of himself and of his courage, and grows into a hero. While his quest is of a standard sort (he must rescue a dragonfly prince), Ursula's delightful imagination imparts a unique wonder to the storyline and to his ordeal.

In some places, the prose is less than polished; but Ursula's occasional lapses in style are more than made up for by her sense of story -- which is glorious.

Several of Ursula's black and white illustrations also grace the pages of the book -- these are incredibly beautiful in their own right and add further depths of wonder to the book.