Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books

An island-dwelling monk, Abba Jacob, lives a largely solitary existence save for the company of his energetic rat terrier, Snook. The pup is also an environmental ally, hunting the vermin that threaten indigenous bird species on the nearby atoll ("The rats and mice ate eggs. Snook was to eat them. It was a good job") when Abba Jacob travels there to catalogue the plants and animals. On one such journey, a storm brews, and the boat whisks Abba Jacob to safety before he can recall Snook, leaving the dog to fend for himself on the island. This modestly sized tale is sort of a canine Island of the Blue Dolphins, and Nelson's text—though prose, still poetically lyrical—depicts both island idyll ("There were finds of flotsam; full moons of fishing buoys, tidbits of sharks' meals") and doggy reality ("Snook stalked his island in a wolf-size cloud of stink. The rats didn't know what hit them") in sweeps of vivid specifics. While Snook adores and misses his master, the story makes clear that he's a robust little guy with plenty to do and many creatures to encounter (the range of flora and fauna on the island, located off of Mauritius, is described with a naturalist's soaring enthusiasm). There's an open-air breeziness to Ering's mixed-media illustrations, as pages in shifting sandy tints underscore the island theme, and quietly toned spot art shades into the background behind the text blocks while raw-edged full-page and three-quarter, spread scenes in strong hues splash out on the drama. 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. Partner this with Haven Kimmel's Orville (BCCB 11/03) for a righteous and visually engaging duo of dogs lost and found. [End Page 87]