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Nowhere Box
Georgeâ€s little brothers wreck his toys and his games and trail after him wherever he goes. Try as he might, thereâ€s just no hiding from them. George has had enough! So he commandeers an empty washing-machine box and goes to the one place his brothers canâ€t Nowhere. Nowhere is amazing! Itâ€s magnificent! Itâ€s also, however, free of pirates and dragons and ... well, anyone at all. From exciting new talent Sam Zuppardi comes an all-too-familiar story of an older brother who knows when he needs his space – and when he needs his siblings – invigorated by charmingly offbeat illustrations.Please ask if you need a specific version. The data provided here may not be correct. With buying and not asking you are accepting the book as is.
40 pages, Hardcover
First published November 7, 2013
2 people are currently reading
134 people want to read
About the author
Sam Zuppardi
14 books17 followersSam Zuppardi says he used to draw cartoons at school when he was supposed to be doing work. Among other things, he has worked in a book warehouse, a bookstore, and a toy store, and is currently working with children. The Nowhere Box is his first picture book. He lives in England.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 107 reviews
September 27, 2016
“Where are you going?”
“Nowhere!---And you can’t follow me!”
George was fed up. His little brothers were driving him nuts! So off he went into nowhere with a little help from a giant empty washing machine box. George escapes into a sea of cardboard colored swirls, purple clouds, ships, castles and more. But nowhere turns out to be a bit lonely. His adventures need pirates to defend from and dragons to defeat or befriend. Maybe George needs his little brothers after all.
The Nowhere Box by Sam Zuppardi is like a drawing come to life. The pages feel and look as if a quick, pencil sketch or doodle began to move, frown, and smile. I loved the look! The smudges and color-outside-the-lines style added huge energy and fun to the story. Every page looked like a picture anyone could draw and an adventure that could happen to YOU!
That said though--Mr. Zuppardi shines at infusing every face and smile with huge emotion. Not everyone could do that! George’s smile holds oodles & oodles of joy. And George’s two little brothers! Haha…Their faces were full of awe and curiosity and binky. :D All three boys were cute as can be.
Come see George’s imagination at play!
This book is a joy to flip through. A story filled with wonder and sweetness.
Highly recommended.
July 2, 2019
A delightful picture book about a boy who is tired and sick of his little siblings bothering him everywhere and decides to travel to Nowhere, in a cardboard box. I had some serious Spongebob Squarepants flashbacks while reading this. I know that imagining yourself elsewhere isn't something SS created, but that episode was just absolute brilliance. I loved seeing what the kid was imagining and seeing all the things he did with the cardboard boxes. The ending was really sweet, it really warms you up. A sweet book about imagination and family.
Read
August 24, 2018This is currently my just-turned-8-year-old son's favorite book.
March 19, 2019
This is the perfect companion for What To Do With a Box or any of the other box-related books that have been populating bookstore shelves these past years. It takes the idea of building with imagination to new and unexplored realms. Very well done. It has a Where the Wild Things Are kind of vibe in that the box offers escapist sanctuary, though it's really about the possibility offered by simple materials. Well done.
October 31, 2014
I love how the author understands so well the need of an older child to get away from his or her siblings for awhile. At first I wasn't impressed with the illustrations, until I saw what happened with them once the box was entered. Fun story all the way around, that any child who has a tagalong brother or sister will understand very very well. Really liked this!
January 24, 2018
Miss 3 and I like to explore different books and authors at the library, sometimes around particular topics or themes. We try to get different ones out every week or so; it's fun for both of us to have the variety and to look at a mix of new & favourite authors.
This was a fun book with beautiful illustrations. The eldest brother escapes into a land of his own imagination (via a space ship washing machine box) but comes to realize that sometimes it's nice just to have a little time alone before playing with those pesky, but oh so fun, little brothers.
This was a fun book with beautiful illustrations. The eldest brother escapes into a land of his own imagination (via a space ship washing machine box) but comes to realize that sometimes it's nice just to have a little time alone before playing with those pesky, but oh so fun, little brothers.
January 18, 2020
My 3yo is really enjoying this as a bedtime read (modified so that George’s little brothers are sisters, like his sister). He likes the pictures showing George engaging in imaginative play, which he has been incorporating into his own play since we borrowed this from the library earlier in the week.
January 21, 2019
Perfect for our imagination themed story time, the kids loved this story of George, who escapes from his little brothers to wonderful adventures in his "nowhere box", but then realizes it may be more fun to include them after all!
February 17, 2021
George's little brothers are driving him crazy. He finds a box and turns it into a spaceship and zooms to Nowhere. He has a great time in Nowhere until he realizes there are no pirates or dragons to fight. Maybe his little brothers aren't so bad after all.
November 7, 2025
The Nowhere Box (Hardcover)
by Sam Zuppardi
Having two younger brother is hard on a young boy. So he needs to go Nowhere, somewhere his brother noise and behavior could not disturb his peace. He finds creative imagination and a dryer box is his refuge.
by Sam Zuppardi
Having two younger brother is hard on a young boy. So he needs to go Nowhere, somewhere his brother noise and behavior could not disturb his peace. He finds creative imagination and a dryer box is his refuge.
August 28, 2017
To get away from his younger brothers, George goes into a "nowhere box" where he can use his imagination. He gets a bit lonely, though...
Box
Imagination
Box
Imagination
May 11, 2018
an especially fun book if you grew up being the oldest of a few siblings and had constant shadows (;
January 28, 2019
This book once again aptly demonstrates that most kids just need an empty box and an imagination to have the best fun.
Illustrations are zany cool!
Illustrations are zany cool!
November 19, 2019
Preschool story time 11-19-2019
April 21, 2020
Illustrations are reminiscent of David Shannon. Storyline will resonate with big brothers and sisters everywhere.
August 24, 2020
The page with a roller coaster on it bumped it up a star for us.
September 27, 2021
A wonderful book that both encourages children to use their imaginations, and the importance of friendship.
Bravo Sam Zuppardi!
Bravo Sam Zuppardi!
April 27, 2024
Davis Shannon style artwork is appealing. Cute story about an older sibling needing some time to himself and learning to appreciate his younger siblings.
October 15, 2024
A sweet book about three brothers playing together.
March 17, 2017
Tired of his pesky younger brothers, a boy decides to go nowhere in a cardboard box to escape.
October 2, 2016
I liked this book and would definitely use this book in a class setting because it had colorful pictures that would attract the children's attention. I would use this book in a small group activity and talk about why and where would they go if they had a "nowhere box". A book like this would definitely be good for any children ages 5 and up. I would recommend this book to any teachers who like to be creative and just have fun with their children.
October 2, 2016
I never heard this book until my peer read it to me. I really enjoyed this book. This is a great book to read to children. I love how it show children you can go to another place with your imagination. I also like the illustration.
July 2, 2016
I’m a sucker for illustrations. The more unique and wonderful the more I’m willing to overlook any story flaws. Lucky for me The Nowhere Box saves me from having to make any concessions.
The pictures look fairly basic at the beginning but as the story develops and George, the main character, commences his exploration of Nowhere the illustrations come to life. Sam Zuppardi uses corrugated cardboard and paint in the most unusual way and I love it. Of course telling someone that painted cardboard is interesting isn’t very convincing but I literally gasped when I turned the page and saw George’s ride through Nowhere on a cardboard roller coaster. The pictures are exiting and imaginative and they make me want to crawl into the pages and check out Nowhere for myself, as long as I can bring someone.
This is a great book for kids with siblings. The lesson is obvious and easy for kids to understand without dragging it out. George is annoyed by his little brothers and makes an escape pod in the form of the washing machine box. He then uses his imagination to create fantastical worlds that he can use to play out his own adventures. The only draw back is that there’s no dragons or enemy pirates. So George goes back and turns his little brothers into bad guys so he can battle them. A little one-sided but nobody seems to notice.
Bug loves the box and Nowhere the most. He flips directly to the front and follows the box throughout the story completely oblivious to the rest of the story. All he wants is “George’s box.” What is it with kids and boxes? I loved boxes when I was younger. I say that knowing full well I built a castle for Bug to crawl through out of boxes less than a month ago. And Bug was the only one crawling through it… I swear. There’s something about boxes that just begs to let our imagination run wild. Like a blank canvas that needs to be painted. The Nowhere Box embraces this and adds a moral in to boot. We originally got this at the library but I think we’ll need to add it to purchase it for our own collection. Imagination, boxes, fantastic illustrations, & learning to get along with younger children… what’s not to like?
Story Tips:
-We loved pushing the buttons to decide where we would go. I made the sounds and Bug turned the pages. Seconds later we were exploding around the room in rockets or rolling through the high seas (books are not just sit down experiences!).
-You can follow George’s box from delivery to abandonment and keep a close eye on George’s youngest brother on the very last page. He’s looking at the box very curiously.
The pictures look fairly basic at the beginning but as the story develops and George, the main character, commences his exploration of Nowhere the illustrations come to life. Sam Zuppardi uses corrugated cardboard and paint in the most unusual way and I love it. Of course telling someone that painted cardboard is interesting isn’t very convincing but I literally gasped when I turned the page and saw George’s ride through Nowhere on a cardboard roller coaster. The pictures are exiting and imaginative and they make me want to crawl into the pages and check out Nowhere for myself, as long as I can bring someone.
This is a great book for kids with siblings. The lesson is obvious and easy for kids to understand without dragging it out. George is annoyed by his little brothers and makes an escape pod in the form of the washing machine box. He then uses his imagination to create fantastical worlds that he can use to play out his own adventures. The only draw back is that there’s no dragons or enemy pirates. So George goes back and turns his little brothers into bad guys so he can battle them. A little one-sided but nobody seems to notice.
Bug loves the box and Nowhere the most. He flips directly to the front and follows the box throughout the story completely oblivious to the rest of the story. All he wants is “George’s box.” What is it with kids and boxes? I loved boxes when I was younger. I say that knowing full well I built a castle for Bug to crawl through out of boxes less than a month ago. And Bug was the only one crawling through it… I swear. There’s something about boxes that just begs to let our imagination run wild. Like a blank canvas that needs to be painted. The Nowhere Box embraces this and adds a moral in to boot. We originally got this at the library but I think we’ll need to add it to purchase it for our own collection. Imagination, boxes, fantastic illustrations, & learning to get along with younger children… what’s not to like?
Story Tips:
-We loved pushing the buttons to decide where we would go. I made the sounds and Bug turned the pages. Seconds later we were exploding around the room in rockets or rolling through the high seas (books are not just sit down experiences!).
-You can follow George’s box from delivery to abandonment and keep a close eye on George’s youngest brother on the very last page. He’s looking at the box very curiously.
January 17, 2014
The Nowhere Box by Sam Zuppardi is a picturebook in which George becomes so annoyed with his younger brothers that he takes a journey to nowhere in order to escape them. Nowhere seems to be great, there are no brothers, but there is no one else to play with either. George discovers that sometimes he needs some time alone, but sometimes he wants to be with his brothers too.
The Nowhere Box is a great story about siblings and imagination. Every family with more than one child has seen the moments where one kid just needs to get away from the rest, and what kid can resist the allure of a big cardboard box. The character of young George is someone that every kid can relate to on some level, and someone that takes all readers on a trip into imagination. I love to encourage the use of imagination and playing pretend with the children in my life and I think this book does a great job of it. Not only does it encourage imagination use, it also gives kids the knowledge that it is okay to need alone time, and that you can create your own little world no matter where you are, but that they are not alone in needing that. The colorful and offbeat illustrations add a perfect touch to the story.
I would highly recommend The Nowhere Box to home and public library collections. The story and illustrations are perfectly paired and can start a series of great discussions about creativity, imagination, family, and personal space.
The Nowhere Box is a great story about siblings and imagination. Every family with more than one child has seen the moments where one kid just needs to get away from the rest, and what kid can resist the allure of a big cardboard box. The character of young George is someone that every kid can relate to on some level, and someone that takes all readers on a trip into imagination. I love to encourage the use of imagination and playing pretend with the children in my life and I think this book does a great job of it. Not only does it encourage imagination use, it also gives kids the knowledge that it is okay to need alone time, and that you can create your own little world no matter where you are, but that they are not alone in needing that. The colorful and offbeat illustrations add a perfect touch to the story.
I would highly recommend The Nowhere Box to home and public library collections. The story and illustrations are perfectly paired and can start a series of great discussions about creativity, imagination, family, and personal space.
December 16, 2013
George just can’t get away from his little brothers. They follow him everywhere, even into the bathroom! George has had enough. So when he finds the box from the new washing machine, George builds himself a way to travel far away. In fact, he goes to Nowhere. Nowhere is wide open and empty, but George quickly fixes that by dumping things out of his box. In no time at all, Nowhere is incredibly fun. But wait, there are no dragons to fight and no pirates to sail the seas. Perhaps there is room in this new space for a few more people to play.
Zuppardi takes a classic story of imaginative play and makes it rambunctious and fun. George’s frustration with his younger brothers is tangible in the early pages as is the relief of being alone for awhile. The story is simply told with a frankness and with the images and George’s own imagination carrying the tale forward.
The images are a huge part of what makes this book worth reading. They have a similar energy level to the “No, David” books. As the box becomes more of the story, cardboard is incorporated into the scenes, forming the ground and most of the objects. The images are bright and bold, perfect for high energy kids.
A story of imagination and being an older sibling, this book will be enjoyed by any child who has loved a big box. Appropriate for ages 3-5.
Zuppardi takes a classic story of imaginative play and makes it rambunctious and fun. George’s frustration with his younger brothers is tangible in the early pages as is the relief of being alone for awhile. The story is simply told with a frankness and with the images and George’s own imagination carrying the tale forward.
The images are a huge part of what makes this book worth reading. They have a similar energy level to the “No, David” books. As the box becomes more of the story, cardboard is incorporated into the scenes, forming the ground and most of the objects. The images are bright and bold, perfect for high energy kids.
A story of imagination and being an older sibling, this book will be enjoyed by any child who has loved a big box. Appropriate for ages 3-5.
January 3, 2014
The Nowhere box by Sam Zuppardi is, simply put, brilliant.
As Mr Zuppardi is an artist whose work I follow, I was thrilled to hear of his very first picture book... perfect for my two young children (aged 2 and 4 years).
The story is amusing, and one that certainly resonates with my eldest child, and does it without being trite or twee.
However, the stand-out feature of this story is the stunning, textural artwork. My youngest can't help but reach out and try and stroke the pages, expecting the texture to be there under her fingers!
It's so distinct and unique, which is hard to find in a market saturated with books for children.
This book is a firm favourite already in our home, and a great start for Sam Zuppardi, who I have no doubt is on his way to becoming as loved, unique and iconic an author and artist as Oliver Jeffers and Mark Heald.
As Mr Zuppardi is an artist whose work I follow, I was thrilled to hear of his very first picture book... perfect for my two young children (aged 2 and 4 years).
The story is amusing, and one that certainly resonates with my eldest child, and does it without being trite or twee.
However, the stand-out feature of this story is the stunning, textural artwork. My youngest can't help but reach out and try and stroke the pages, expecting the texture to be there under her fingers!
It's so distinct and unique, which is hard to find in a market saturated with books for children.
This book is a firm favourite already in our home, and a great start for Sam Zuppardi, who I have no doubt is on his way to becoming as loved, unique and iconic an author and artist as Oliver Jeffers and Mark Heald.
January 23, 2014
This is a great book. The artwork looks like a kid could have drawn it, which I think is really appealing to young kids (if mine are any indication.) Also, the story is a great one--how younger siblings can be a pain and sometimes you just need to get away from them. And then enter the staple of great childhood play--the box. A perfect place to go to get away and have great adventures in, which George does. I love books that show kids using their imagination, so this one hooked me there. And then it resolves nicely when George realizes that being alone isn't as fun as he thought and his brothers make pretty good pirates and dragons. A powerful message--everyone needs time to themselves, etc and it's good to take it, but it's also nice to have the people you were trying to get away from to come back to. And it's told in such a brief, beautiful way, with fun pictures, and blasting off to the moon! Love it!
November 18, 2014
George has two little brothers who drive him crazy. Everywhere he goes, they follow. He decides to create his own pretend place inside a washing machine box. He tells the brothers he is going nowhere. He uses his imagination to make nowhere a creative and fun place to play. But he eventually gets lonely and realizes playing with this brothers isn't so bad after all.
The illustrations in this book are mixed media--a combination of paint, pencil and cardboard. The drawings are done in such a way--with lots of scribbly pencil marks--that they look like children's drawings. Basically what you see on the cover is throughout the book. Although the pictures are colorful and the cardboard interesting, the scribbling drove me crazy.
Although the story is a bit weak in content (there could have been more), it is a good message for boys with little brothers.
The illustrations in this book are mixed media--a combination of paint, pencil and cardboard. The drawings are done in such a way--with lots of scribbly pencil marks--that they look like children's drawings. Basically what you see on the cover is throughout the book. Although the pictures are colorful and the cardboard interesting, the scribbling drove me crazy.
Although the story is a bit weak in content (there could have been more), it is a good message for boys with little brothers.
March 1, 2022
Everyone needs some time alone - especially if your stuff is getting ruined. I think this really spoke to my 5-year-old. I was a bit concerned when I first picked up the book. I was worried it would be another unfortunate attempt at making sibling rivalry funny when it really is just mean. But that wasn't the case. Yes, there is frustration, but it was dealt with in a very real, non-aggressive way. In his Nowhere box, the boy gets to escape his brothers who have knocked over his creations. Nowhere is fun, nowhere is great, but in the end nowhere without brothers is pretty empty. The drawings here are great. I think children can really identify with them. And they give me hope for my own chicken scratch. Kudos to the author for handling a common problem among siblings with love. My daughter immediately went to the garage to find a box that is now her Nowhere Box. :)
Displaying 1 - 30 of 107 reviews