Nothing

Nothing, an old toy abandoned in an attic, sets out on a journey to find his true identity and is given a new lease on life when he finally winds up in the hands of Grandpa.

PreSchool-Grade 2AA new baby is on the way and the family is moving to a bigger house. In the attic, the movers uncover an old stuffed toy. The little abandoned creature, newly conscious after having been squashed and forgotten for years, hears the men say, on catching sight of him, "Oh, it's nothing" and concludes that Nothing must be his name. As he wanders about trying to figure out where he belongs, Nothing meets various animals, and memories of his past begin to return in snatches. Eventually, a cat befriends him and carries him to the new house. Grandpa recognizes the toy as one of his childhood favorites and all ends happily. This is a charming tale in the tradition of The Velveteen Rabbit. The watercolor illustrations are full of interesting perspectives. A foldout page that depicts Nothing's transformation ("with the help of a good wash, some scraps of material...and some thread") back into a little cloth tabby cat is particularly endearing. The spirited prose moves along at a lively pace. However, the ending is quite complicated and may prove confusing to the young children for whom this book is intended. Because of the complex denouement, this fetching picture book is more suitable for one-to-one than group sharing.ASue Norris, Rye Free Reading Room, NY
Copyright 1998 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Inkpen's (Penguin Small; Kipper) familiar, unadorned watercolors animate this simple and fetching story, which opens as a family, anticipating their baby's arrival, prepares to move into a bigger house around the corner: "The cat has gone missing, but everything else is packed up and ready to go." Well, not quite everything. In the attic, a tattered, one-eared stuffed animal lies beneath a pile of rugs. "Oh, it's nothing," says a voice, and the abandoned creature assumes that Nothing is his name. He springs to life and encounters several animals who jog his memory ("I used to have ears and whiskers!... I'm sure of it," thinks Nothing, after meeting a fox). Then when the missing family cat brings the perplexed fellow home, Grandpa produces a photo of himself as an infant hugging a stuffed feline named Little Toby?aka Nothing. A foldout spread reveals the toy's metamorphosis into a handsome cat, replete with fresh stripes, two ears, whiskers and an enormous smile. An endearing ending (Grandpa places the restored toy in the crib of the new baby, who immediately begins sucking on its ear) and some winsome spot art help recommend this comforting caper as a bedtime read-aloud for preschoolers. Ages 3-6.
Copyright 1998 Reed Business Information, Inc.

In this delightful tale from Inkpen (Wibbly Pig Makes Pictures, 1995, etc.), the circle goes unbroken when a ratty and abandoned stuffed toy recalls its own true self. It is moving day. Up in the attic, a toy that had been lost is found and lost again: ``What have we got here?'' asks one of the movers. ``Oh, it's nothing,'' replies the other. ``So that's my name,'' thinks the faded and tattered little thing. ``Nothing.'' Cautioned by a mouse that the ``New People'' will probably throw him away, Nothing embarks on a reluctant journey of self-discovery. Seeing the tail on the mouse reminds him that he may have had one. The whiskers on a fox are familiar, as are the stripes on a frog in the garden lily pond. A cat takes Nothing home, where he encounters Grandpa, who holds the key to the mystery. The handsome illustrations, composed for maximum emotional impact, combine with a clever book design--the first page of the story appears before the title page, and Nothing's transformation back to a feline state takes place in a gatefold. Readers searching for deep meanings will find plenty to ponder, especially in the perfect balance between the profoundness of Nothing's mission and the humor of the text. (Picture book. 3-6) -- Copyright ©1998, Kirkus Associates, LP. All rights reserved.

Ages 3^-5. The popular story of the ragged, neglected toy that finds a loving home is movingly retold in this picture book from England. The soft-toned watercolor illustrations show the discarded little stuffed animal that is left behind when the family moves to a bigger house. Squashed in the dark attic for so long, the toy doesn't even know its own name until he hears someone call it "Nothing." "So that's my name." Then he sits up, struggles on unsteady legs, gets outside, escapes a fox, and, with the help of a friendly cat, makes his way to the new family home, where Grandpa recognizes him as his beloved childhood toy, Little Toby. Children will feel for the small creature on an elemental perilous adventure to find himself. The pictures of the sturdy little outsider reach a climax when Grandpa recognizes his lost darling and holds him tenderly in his lap. Then Little Toby is restored to his former tabby cat self and tucked in carefully with the new baby. Hazel Rochman