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

Locations
Call Number: J Fiction / Vernon, Ursula
On Shelf At: Downtown Library

Location & Checkout Length	Call Number	Checkout Length	Item Status
Downtown Kids Books 4-week checkout	J Fiction / Vernon, Ursula	4-week checkout	On Shelf

Nurk, a sort-of brave shrew, packs up a few pairs of clean socks and sails off on an accidental adventure, guided by wisdom found in the journal of his famously brave and fierce grandmother, Lady Surka the warrior shrew.

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wonderful lyrical adventure submitted by camelsamba on June 17, 2012, 10:23pm I adored this book! The prose is quite lyrical and often funny. There are lots of wonderful details such as "the voice was scratchy and raspy and metallic, like sand poured into a copper kettle." It isn't dumbed down due to the likely audience (pre-teen independent readers). It also has a touch of sweetness - but not too sweet to appeal to an 8 year old boy. We enjoyed it so much I'm going to buy it for our home library.

Nurk is a shrew who is a bit timid but who also longs (just a bit) for adventure. Although he is timid, he has a family legacy to live up to (his grandmother Surka was quite the adventurer). In the end, his honesty, loyalty, and quick-thinking are what pull him through the challenges he faces.

I wondered a bit about some of the natural history. For example, I know shrews are tiny, but how can dragonflies be so much larger? Clearly they are mysterious magical dragonflies. Dragonflies don't even live long enough to establish kingdoms and hierarchies. The part about the (star-nosed) mole half as big as a mountain was funny - making (half) a mountain out of a mole (hill)...

Quote from Grandma Surka's diary: "Being in charge isn't much fun. Sure, you can sleep in late, but there are so many things to worry about all the time. The best plan for any sensible adventurer is to sweep in, take the throne, live like a king for a few weeks, and then sneak out in the middle of the night before people start asking unpleasant questions about road maintenance and tax relief." (p 59)

Whimsical adventure starring a shrew submitted by srlorand on August 19, 2023, 10:32pm A delightful adventure from the quirky imagination and playful mind of Ursula Vernon. You needn’t be a kid to enjoy this!