Nini Lost and Found

September 13, 2010
Inspired by the adventures of Caldecott Honor–winning Lobel's own cat, the story opens as Nini, the striped tabby from Nini Here and There, spies a door ajar one day, "when the sky was very blue and the world outside was more inviting than ever." After venturing out, the cat looks back on her owners' farmhouse and recalls its comforting pleasures. But the outdoors beckons ("What soft mosses. What great leaves. What good tree trunks"), until night falls and the sight and sounds of threatening animals scare her into hiding. Hearing her family calling for her, Nini eventually summons the courage to dash home. Nini's mood-swinging interior monologue is endearing, and even more memorable are her dramatic facial expressions, ranging from fearful to entirely contented. Lobel's signature flowers are in full bloom—indoors and out—in her painterly gouache and watercolor art. Children won't need to be cat lovers to identify with Nini's tug-of-war between the familiarity and safety of home and the call of the wild—"Oh, but it was great out here." Ages 4–8.

Starred review from August 15, 2010
Temptation leads Nini the tabby cat out an open door, away from her cozy house, through a vibrant garden and beyond, into dark woods. Nini's comfortable, compartmentalized indoor life appears in appropriately rigid, rectangular panels at the beginning of her story; she sits by the fire, curls in a tangle of yarn, snuggles in a quilt, all within safe little boxes. As she meanders through the garden's long grasses and bright zinnias, however, straight, structured boundaries give way to floating, sunny scenes on white space. Nini thinks, "Oh, this is really, really, really nice." Upon her entrance into the wild woods, whiteness completely disappears; branches, brambles and animals consume double-page spreads, running right off the borders. Night falls, and the watercolor-and-gouache paintings turn dark and dizzying; their once-charming intricacy sours into sickening confusion. Poor Nini! Lobel captures a cat's clear, opinionated and lovably hedonistic thinking in her simple storytelling. She also introduces the joys of home, the thrill of freedom and the scariness of the unknown to young readers, who will strain to hear the calls of Nini's owners in the night. (Picture book. 4-8)

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September 1, 2010

PreS-Gr 2-The feline heroine of Nini Here and There (Greenwillow, 2007) is back in a book that captures all of the charm of its predecessor. When a door is accidently left open, Nini seizes the opportunity to explore a world that is wider and wilder than the familiar, cozy confines of her own house. The foliage and critters lure her farther away, and Nini revels in their delights until night falls. Suddenly, what was welcoming and beautiful becomes menacing to the little cat. But all ends well, with a philosophical Nini reflecting that there still might be more adventures in her future. The feline's world, both inside and out, is full of lush details that Lobel renders with gouache and watercolor illustrations. Although the illustrations are heavily detailed and full of things to see, the pages do not appear cluttered because of the white space that frames each picture. The white space disappears once night falls and the pictures, suitably, feel claustrophobic. Nini's own epiphany is best revealed by the two window shots that open and close the book; the title page shows her in close-up, sitting in a window, gazing out. She is framed by the sill, boxed in, and safe. The final image is Nini again in that window, but the perspective is from across the yard, so that she is but a small creature gazing upon the outside landscape that dominates the scene. This is an attractive, quiet book to share with young adventurers.-Kara Schaff Dean, Walpole Public Library, MA

Copyright 2010 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

Starred review from August 1, 2010
Preschool-G *Starred Review* The last time readers met Nini, the beguiling striped tabby, she thought she was being left behind when her family went away (Nini Here and There, 2007). Now it is Nini who is making travel plans, thanks to an open door. Once outside, Nini walks slowly away from home, then moves faster, and before long she is very far away indeed. Reveling in new sights and smells, Nini thinks, Oh, this is really, really, really nice. But darkness brings strange sounds, and Nini smells danger. One scary spread shows a fox, an owl, and a big brown bear who chase her into the hollow of an old tree. Now being outside is not so nice; Nini wants to go home, and someone wants her home, too. Come back, come back, little miss cat. Nini doesnt know what to do. If she leaves her hiding place, the animals might catch her; but I must be brave, she tells herself as she runs toward home. Scolded, yes, but then cuddled and loved, Nini is glad to be home . . . for now. Told with an elegant simplicity that children will appreciate (they might have some of the same thoughts themselves), this is filled with Lobels endearing watercolor-and-gouache artwork, with big swirls of emotion and the tiniest nod of relief in a little cats upturned lip. A wonderful read-aloud, with the length of the text, the size of the art, and the adventure of the tale all being just right.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2010, American Library Association.)