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The Bramble
In this beautifully illustrated and mostly wordless book, Cameron isn't small, but he's not exactly big. He's not slow, but he's also not quick. He wants friends, but it never quite seems to work out. And in a game of tag, he's going to end up "it." Or at least that's how things are on this side of the Bramble. On the other side, it's a different story. On the other side of the Bramble, something extraordinary can happen, something that changes everything.
32 pages, ebook
First published August 13, 2013
About the author
Lee Nordling
30 books7 followersLee Nordling is an award-winning writer, editor, and creative director who has worked on staff at Disney Publishing, DC Comics, and Nickelodeon Magazine. His book, The Bramble, won the 2013 Moonbeam Gold Medal for Picture Books (ages 4-8), and BirdCatDog was chosen by Kirkus Reviews as one of the best children's books of 2014. He lives in Pennsylvania with his wife, Cheri, and numerous pets that earn their kibbles by offering inspiration.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 43 reviews
October 30, 2018
A (mostly) wordless picture book about a boy who has to face some fears. You know about the Upside Down (from Stranger Things)? In The Bramble the Upside Down is the Bramble, filled with monsters, yes, but in this story they are monsters who befriend him and help him face the bullies he faces in his "real" life. The art is good but comes out maybe a little too dark (By that I mean hard to see), even for Halloween. You have to work at figuring out what is going on, but once you do, it's a good fantasy and (kid) "horror" (because it has kid-level monsters!) about the uses of monsters in conquering fear.
April 9, 2014
A chubby-faced boy finds his way into a realm of magical creatures after the older kids refuse to play tag with him. Wonder fills his eyes with each sight in this beautifully rendered world.
Almost completely wordless, the boy helps these creatures face a menacing foe, a sweeping wave that is a metaphor for the seemingly overwhelming power of bullies in the real world. To overcome this, he tricks the wave with a game of tag, and after dodging it countless times, manages to outsmart it to the great relieve of his new friends.
Shades of brown start of this tale to give a down to earth look to the real world, while different colours are used for the other world. Hues flow from page to page; blues into purples, into blues then greens. They shift with the changing atmosphere. For this slightly dark Fantasy setting, sketchy colouring is used to emphasize shadows. Twisting wood, and branches, carry the tangled style of the bramble passageway into subsequent panels to give continuity to the world.
While there is little text, the author does a good job of clearly presenting his message of friendship and courage, for after the boy's adventure he returns to his world more confident than before.
Almost completely wordless, the boy helps these creatures face a menacing foe, a sweeping wave that is a metaphor for the seemingly overwhelming power of bullies in the real world. To overcome this, he tricks the wave with a game of tag, and after dodging it countless times, manages to outsmart it to the great relieve of his new friends.
Shades of brown start of this tale to give a down to earth look to the real world, while different colours are used for the other world. Hues flow from page to page; blues into purples, into blues then greens. They shift with the changing atmosphere. For this slightly dark Fantasy setting, sketchy colouring is used to emphasize shadows. Twisting wood, and branches, carry the tangled style of the bramble passageway into subsequent panels to give continuity to the world.
While there is little text, the author does a good job of clearly presenting his message of friendship and courage, for after the boy's adventure he returns to his world more confident than before.
April 16, 2015
1) This book is extremely easy to follow with very few words and panels colored in monochromatic design. The panels are easy to follow and creatively drawn creatures show emotions through the pictures.
2) I would suggest using this book for a student with limited language skills or K-2. It would be a great book to have students give words and dialogue to the main character. It allows for the reader to imagine their own interpretation.
3) No cautions or concerns. The little boy seems scared of the dark and the monsters that live in the bramble. As he befriends the creatures in the bramble, he learns that he has inner strength to stand up to his fears and also the bigger boys he was playing tag with.
2) I would suggest using this book for a student with limited language skills or K-2. It would be a great book to have students give words and dialogue to the main character. It allows for the reader to imagine their own interpretation.
3) No cautions or concerns. The little boy seems scared of the dark and the monsters that live in the bramble. As he befriends the creatures in the bramble, he learns that he has inner strength to stand up to his fears and also the bigger boys he was playing tag with.
December 12, 2013
I thought the emotional tone was spot on - nailed the bravery of approaching new groups, heartbreak of being rejected, joy at finding new kindred spirits. however, I'm not sure that the Tag metaphor really worked, and I'm not sure that the resolution made that much sense.
October 30, 2013
Wow! Awesome. Dymphnan had me read it every night, even though we have 50 other library books. We probably will buy this one.
March 4, 2015
Cuuuuteee. Shouldn't really be counting this as a book, seeing as it's so short but... Whatevs ;P
February 25, 2025
The Bramble is a short graphic novel in which the entire story is told through pictures / illustrations. Nordling's theme of "belonging" holds true for anyone of any age who wishes to read this.
When "the boy" wanders through a tunnel within the woodland bramble, he discovers fantastic oddities living within on the other side. Maurice Sendak's Where the Wild Things Are is a fair comparison.
Illustrations by Zick are rendered beautifully as pencil drawn imagery and the color palette is gorgeously thought out for the visual narrative.
Recommending this for anyone looking for a quick escape from our everyday world into one maybe much more peculiar.
When "the boy" wanders through a tunnel within the woodland bramble, he discovers fantastic oddities living within on the other side. Maurice Sendak's Where the Wild Things Are is a fair comparison.
Illustrations by Zick are rendered beautifully as pencil drawn imagery and the color palette is gorgeously thought out for the visual narrative.
Recommending this for anyone looking for a quick escape from our everyday world into one maybe much more peculiar.
May 18, 2013
The Bramble is a picture book with very minimal text. For the most part the story is told by illustrations. I love these books because it allows you to come up with the text. You create the story with the author.
Lee Nordling and Bruce Zick have created a very interesting book. As is so important in a visual heavy book, the illustrations really draw the eye. They are incredibly intricate pen and ink/see the hash mark images. The color used is mainly to define the two worlds. The world outside of the bramble has a sepia feel to it while the world inside of the bramble has a blue tone to it. Honestly, my favorite pictures where when Cameron, the main character, is climbing through the bramble. The depiction of the bramble is just cool.
The story is sort of a coming of age story. The main character is not the most popular guy and goes into the bramble conquers and evil and gains confidence that he then applies to his “real world” life. I found it an enjoyable book.
I am going to say my least favorite part of the book was the front inside flap. Like most books with inside flaps, this is where the authors put a summary or teaser. Unfortunately, I felt they included too much information. First off, it is the only place that the main characters name is given. In the story, he is never named, so his name could be my name or your name. Not naming him brings up the possibility that he could be anyone that has ever felt left out. Also, the way they described the main character were not things that I would have picked up from the pictures. It comes off as though the authors didn’t feel the pictures could carry the book without some explanation. They should have had more faith in the illustrations. However, front flap aside, it is still a 4/5 star book.
Lee Nordling and Bruce Zick have created a very interesting book. As is so important in a visual heavy book, the illustrations really draw the eye. They are incredibly intricate pen and ink/see the hash mark images. The color used is mainly to define the two worlds. The world outside of the bramble has a sepia feel to it while the world inside of the bramble has a blue tone to it. Honestly, my favorite pictures where when Cameron, the main character, is climbing through the bramble. The depiction of the bramble is just cool.
The story is sort of a coming of age story. The main character is not the most popular guy and goes into the bramble conquers and evil and gains confidence that he then applies to his “real world” life. I found it an enjoyable book.
I am going to say my least favorite part of the book was the front inside flap. Like most books with inside flaps, this is where the authors put a summary or teaser. Unfortunately, I felt they included too much information. First off, it is the only place that the main characters name is given. In the story, he is never named, so his name could be my name or your name. Not naming him brings up the possibility that he could be anyone that has ever felt left out. Also, the way they described the main character were not things that I would have picked up from the pictures. It comes off as though the authors didn’t feel the pictures could carry the book without some explanation. They should have had more faith in the illustrations. However, front flap aside, it is still a 4/5 star book.
March 4, 2018
My thoughts: Great illustrations and unique story-telling help convey a message that needs to be repeated often – bullying is not cool. But friendship is way cooler. And you learn that you can find and make friends in the most unexpected places.The illustrations might be a little scary for really young kids but has something of 'Where the Wild Things are' in a toned down kind of way - both in color (since bright color is not something you will see in this book - mostly muds and shadows!) and in dialog (almost none). That toned-downness fits this book though and I did enjoy reading - the pictures - in this book.
My kids thoughts:
My little girl: She said that this book is different, loved how they all became friends towards the end, did not like the fact that there were mainly boys in this book. When I mentioned that I think I did see a girl, she replied saying that the girl was not given enough of a role! She gave this book 4.5 out of 5 stars mainly because of the ‘girl’ factor mentioned here.
My little boy:”I loved the concept of using pictures mainly to tell the story. (he loves cartooning). The book was awesome; and how the little boy figured out how to get the mean boy not to bully him anymore; how he dodged the wave – it was pure genius! I give this book 10 out of 5 stars.”
Rating: B+
Reading Level: 7 years and up
Reread Level: 4/5
Disclaimer:Thank you to NetGalley for sending me a digital review copy of the books above. I was not compensated for my review. My thoughts on the books were in no way influenced by the author or publicist. They are my personal opinions formed when I read the books.
My kids thoughts:
My little girl: She said that this book is different, loved how they all became friends towards the end, did not like the fact that there were mainly boys in this book. When I mentioned that I think I did see a girl, she replied saying that the girl was not given enough of a role! She gave this book 4.5 out of 5 stars mainly because of the ‘girl’ factor mentioned here.
My little boy:”I loved the concept of using pictures mainly to tell the story. (he loves cartooning). The book was awesome; and how the little boy figured out how to get the mean boy not to bully him anymore; how he dodged the wave – it was pure genius! I give this book 10 out of 5 stars.”
Rating: B+
Reading Level: 7 years and up
Reread Level: 4/5
Disclaimer:Thank you to NetGalley for sending me a digital review copy of the books above. I was not compensated for my review. My thoughts on the books were in no way influenced by the author or publicist. They are my personal opinions formed when I read the books.
September 3, 2013
I received this book for free from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
The Bramble is about a young boy who’s teased by the other kids, and sometime ignored by them. When he wanders into the Bramble, he finds a new world with new possibilities.
I’m a little torn on what this book really is. It’s marked as a graphic novel, but I went into it with the mind set of a picture book. It certainly has frames similar to that of graphic novels. Still, I think this could easily be read by very young children (especially since it’s mostly wordless), and that puts it the picture book realm for me. While I found the illustrations beautiful, I wasn’t impressed with the story. It just felt like a new version of Where the Wild Things Are. Cameron journeys to the other side of The Bramble, where he finds odd shaped creatures who help him learn. They even kind of looked like the creatures in Where the Wild Things Are. If a book is reminding me too much of another book, that immediately puts it in the “not recommended” category. Sorry, but originality is important, especially in children’s books. That’s what makes one book stand out from another and it seems to happen so rarely for me with picture books.
Read more reviews at Owl Tell You About It.
The Bramble is about a young boy who’s teased by the other kids, and sometime ignored by them. When he wanders into the Bramble, he finds a new world with new possibilities.
I’m a little torn on what this book really is. It’s marked as a graphic novel, but I went into it with the mind set of a picture book. It certainly has frames similar to that of graphic novels. Still, I think this could easily be read by very young children (especially since it’s mostly wordless), and that puts it the picture book realm for me. While I found the illustrations beautiful, I wasn’t impressed with the story. It just felt like a new version of Where the Wild Things Are. Cameron journeys to the other side of The Bramble, where he finds odd shaped creatures who help him learn. They even kind of looked like the creatures in Where the Wild Things Are. If a book is reminding me too much of another book, that immediately puts it in the “not recommended” category. Sorry, but originality is important, especially in children’s books. That’s what makes one book stand out from another and it seems to happen so rarely for me with picture books.
Read more reviews at Owl Tell You About It.
July 31, 2013
This mostly wordless story about a boy who discovers a passage into a world of monsters, and unlike Where the Wild Things Go, he befriends these monsters instead. The boy helps them with a serious problem and in the process, he learns something about himself. When he returns to his world, he uses it to good effect.
Not all monsters are bad. Sometimes they're just as scared as you are inside. The same is very true for people, and sometimes the really mean ones are just afraid to open up. Also, if you don't challenge yourself, you won't learn your true capabilities. The bramble represents the struggle you need to go through to go to the other side.
The Bramble packs this powerful message into a gorgeously drawn realm of timid monsters and brutal bullies. I read this with my three year old daughter. She likes her monsters, and it says a lot for this book that she was able to recognize that The Bramble's monsters looked afraid and sad. It actually engaged her a lot more than most graphic novels that she sometimes likes to read with me.
Not all monsters are bad. Sometimes they're just as scared as you are inside. The same is very true for people, and sometimes the really mean ones are just afraid to open up. Also, if you don't challenge yourself, you won't learn your true capabilities. The bramble represents the struggle you need to go through to go to the other side.
The Bramble packs this powerful message into a gorgeously drawn realm of timid monsters and brutal bullies. I read this with my three year old daughter. She likes her monsters, and it says a lot for this book that she was able to recognize that The Bramble's monsters looked afraid and sad. It actually engaged her a lot more than most graphic novels that she sometimes likes to read with me.
July 7, 2013
Nordling and Zick are very talented men. They have an amazing list of project they have helped to create (view the author bios on the dust jacket). Unfortunately, this title didn't strike home for me.
It's a nearly wordless graphic novel. The illustrations are intricate with a dark overtone and the reader can follow along with the overall story. The boy wants to play tag, but the other children don't want to play with him. He visits the Bramble and discovers new creatures and how to stand up for himself. He goes back to play with the children and he's finally accepted. I think the audience is for older elementary students. You could have some discussions about different group games, what would you see behind a Bramble, or situations where you showed bravery. If there is interest in wordless graphic novels, this could be a choice, but I prefer the Owly series by Andy Runton.
Reviewed from a NetGalley copy. Thank you, Lerner Publishing Group and Carolrhoda Books!
It's a nearly wordless graphic novel. The illustrations are intricate with a dark overtone and the reader can follow along with the overall story. The boy wants to play tag, but the other children don't want to play with him. He visits the Bramble and discovers new creatures and how to stand up for himself. He goes back to play with the children and he's finally accepted. I think the audience is for older elementary students. You could have some discussions about different group games, what would you see behind a Bramble, or situations where you showed bravery. If there is interest in wordless graphic novels, this could be a choice, but I prefer the Owly series by Andy Runton.
Reviewed from a NetGalley copy. Thank you, Lerner Publishing Group and Carolrhoda Books!
May 3, 2013
Cameron is always tagged in tag and he is never quick enough not to be "it" all the time. A surprising trip into the Bramble finds him in a strange worlds with new friends that teach him new skills.
It's a fun children's novel told mainly with pictures and very few words (the only words in it are tag, you're, and it). It reminded me a bit of some of the early Maurice Sendak novels and Where The Wild Things Are.
The creative team behind the book come from Disney and Pixar, so you know the story is magical. A fun graphic novel for young children, but I enjoyed it also. The colors are more on the subdued side (ranging from gold to deep purple and back again), but the art has lots of details and strange creatures.
It's a fun children's novel told mainly with pictures and very few words (the only words in it are tag, you're, and it). It reminded me a bit of some of the early Maurice Sendak novels and Where The Wild Things Are.
The creative team behind the book come from Disney and Pixar, so you know the story is magical. A fun graphic novel for young children, but I enjoyed it also. The colors are more on the subdued side (ranging from gold to deep purple and back again), but the art has lots of details and strange creatures.
May 29, 2013
Think of The Bramble as a anti-bullying book that meets Where the Wild Things Are. Cameron wants to play with the older kids, but they won't let him. They pick on him because of his size. What little kid can't relate to that, huh?
But then something amazing happens. Cameron follows this interesting creature (a la Alice and the White Rabbit) through a bramble to discover that he's pretty amazing. When he does venture back to his world, he's ready to play with the big kids.
I really liked that this book had hardly any words. The pictures told the story, which is perfect for smaller readers. I love the idea of kids reading along and adding their own dialogue and commentary to the story. The plot ideas are endless.
But then something amazing happens. Cameron follows this interesting creature (a la Alice and the White Rabbit) through a bramble to discover that he's pretty amazing. When he does venture back to his world, he's ready to play with the big kids.
I really liked that this book had hardly any words. The pictures told the story, which is perfect for smaller readers. I love the idea of kids reading along and adding their own dialogue and commentary to the story. The plot ideas are endless.
October 10, 2013
A young boy, Cameron, travels through a bramble hedge into another world populated by friendly monsters who are being threatened by some huge wave-like creature. The illustrations are very dark (muted greys and purple and black) and I found the almost entirely wordless story hard to follow in places. Cameron is capable and brave in the Bramble and is able to take that strength back into the real world, but I'm not sure how helpful this would be for children facing their own bullies. The monsters feel very reminiscent of “Where the Wild Things Are”, especially in the panels where they are dancing and howling at the moon. This bothered me! I would have liked to see this homage to a classic picture book acknowledged in some way.
March 29, 2014
What a great nearly wordless book. The story simply doesn’t need words because the illustrations are just that descriptive. A simply wonderful story about a boy discovering monsters in an interesting game of tag. Well, and perhaps finding friends in unlikely places.
In this beautifully illustrated and mostly wordless book, Cameron isn't small, but he's not exactly big. He's not slow, but he's also not quick. He wants friends, but it never quite seems to work out, but all that’s on Carmon’s side of the Bramble. On the other side of the Bramble, something extraordinary can happen, something that changes everything.
I would use it for older storytimes about monsters, imagination, and friendship.
In this beautifully illustrated and mostly wordless book, Cameron isn't small, but he's not exactly big. He's not slow, but he's also not quick. He wants friends, but it never quite seems to work out, but all that’s on Carmon’s side of the Bramble. On the other side of the Bramble, something extraordinary can happen, something that changes everything.
I would use it for older storytimes about monsters, imagination, and friendship.
May 13, 2013
This book is different than most. It is set up like a comic book but does not have words. Without words it was a little difficult for us to follow the story. A creative person would probably love this book as they can interpret it however they want too. I am sure a teacher can do the same to make it fit in with his or her lesson plans.
Review from my five year old son-"This book is not so good. The pictures are very scary!"
***This book was given to me by the publisher in exchange for an open and honest review.***
August 24, 2013
I love the atmospheric, moody, and creepy illustrations in this mostly wordless picture book. The creatures are well-done yet rather reminiscent of Sendak's "Where the Wild Things Are". The main little boy doesn't quite seem to fit in with his peers. But when he stumbles into the Bramble, magical things happen which enable him to build in confidence ultimately standing up to those who bullied him before. While the illustrations are nice, smaller children might have difficulty following the story. Each page and panel should be closely examined to get all the subtle details.
January 12, 2014
Executed in panels like a comic book, the regular world is depicted in yellowy-sepia colors while the fantasy world is depicted with blues, greens and purples. The human characters are somewhat cartooney, and the fantasy creatures not overly-scary. I agree with some other reviewers that it was not very clear whether the thing chasing the fantasy creatures was a wave of water or some kind of blob creature. I liked the book, but I think there were other, better wordless books published this past year.
May 4, 2019
I'm a sucker for this concept--who doesn't love a portal into a dangerous, fantastic hidden forest?--so this works for me on some level, and the minimal text centralizes the dark, thorny setting. But the narrative needs to be stronger, and I don't love the message of "tame your bullies by being tougher than they are" for many reasons; and while the art for the bramble is fine, with strong textures and a limited palette, the humans are awful, particularly their faces, and the monsters are an undifferentiated mass. This is fine, but could be way better.
June 5, 2013
4 Stars
I love when I find a graphic novel that is easy for young kids to understand without alienating the mid to upper elementary. This book has done just that. It all starts with a game of tag. No one wants to play with our hero. So he takes a trip through the bramble (thorny bushes) to a place where everyone wants to play. But there is danger lurking nearby and the new world needs a hero.
I love when I find a graphic novel that is easy for young kids to understand without alienating the mid to upper elementary. This book has done just that. It all starts with a game of tag. No one wants to play with our hero. So he takes a trip through the bramble (thorny bushes) to a place where everyone wants to play. But there is danger lurking nearby and the new world needs a hero.
September 6, 2013
This is an almost wordless picture book and kind of a graphic novel at the same time. It's about a boy learning to overcome his fears and insecurities. I read this with my kids and they really enjoyed the story and the illustrations. I loved the artwork, and even though the story was just so-so for me, the main weight of the book lies with the art. So I gave it a nice, solid 4 stars.
My blog: Books for Kids
My blog: Books for Kids
April 3, 2014
This book war nearly wordless and I loved the illustrations. It felt like an homage to Where the Wild Things Are, with a hint of my neighbor Totoro. I'm not sure I quite get the message at the end. It feels a little too much like "if you can't beat them, join them".
January 8, 2015
In this beautifully illustrated and mostly wordless book with strong anti-bullying themes, Cameron struggles with his size, his speed, and his ability to make new friends. But on the other side of the Bramble, something extraordinary can happen, something that changes everything.
HCPL Juv Nonfic, Graphic Novels 741.597 Nor
MOSTLY wordless
HCPL Juv Nonfic, Graphic Novels 741.597 Nor
MOSTLY wordless
November 26, 2013
Great visuals for an almost wordless picture book. For some reason the illustrations reminded me of Sendak's Wild Things----but without the whole Max & dinner part. :P
May 29, 2013
Creating your own story can be tough sometimes. I would only recommend this book to children 7 or older.
August 25, 2013
A fanciful wordless book about a young boy who finds friendship and courage with a band of monsters in the bramble.
November 9, 2013
Bullied young boy is befriended by monsters and learns courage.
February 5, 2014
This is what would happen if the movie 'Labyrinth' and the book 'Where the Wild Things Are' had a baby. Crazy fun about a boy who learns to understand his personal power.
March 3, 2015
This wordless graphic novel was simply adorable. Saw it at the library and knew based on its cover I had to read it. I thoroughly enjoyed it.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 43 reviews