The Newest Gnome

by Lauren Soloy

A beautiful ode to nature, mindfulness and community, Lauren Soloy delivers a delightful picture book about welcoming and belonging for fans of Little Witch Hazel by Phoebe Wahl.

Grolly Maru is The Pocket's newest inhabitant. They are learning all about their new home and all the things the gnomes do to care for it. But what will their job be?

As each gnome shares their role in The Pocket, Grolly is less and less sure about what they should do. But by the light of the full moon, inspiration strikes! 

This gorgeous homage to nature, beauty, mindfulness and community is a reminder to be present and to care for and appreciate the world around us, but it's also just a delightful stroll through a special and strange yet ultimately familiar place first introduced in The Hidden World of Gnomes.

Genres: Picture Books, Fantasy, Childrens, Graphic Novels

72 pages, Hardcover

Published October 7, 2025

Reviews

[Chasing Silhouettes · Rating 4 out of 5]

Love the delve into nature. There was a subtle quirkiness to the gnomes that uplifted the corner of my lips. And nice little tidbits of educational information for the newest gnome, Grolly Maru, (I kept reading their name as Molly Garu lol) and the reader/listener. (I even learned something, like the bit about garter snakes 🤯)

Very cute story! Apparently, there's another story before this one that introduces the gnome world. But for a children's book and simplicity, this is fine as a standalone.

eARC courtesy of NetGalley | Penguin Random House/ Tundra Books

[Dawn Michelle · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is an absolutely lovely book about meeting new people, being the new person, and all that they can teach each other.
What makes this book so fun is that the people in this book are actually adorable GNOMES!!! They love their lives, love where they live, and they REALLY love introducing new gnomes to their amazing world. As the book goes on, you learn about their world, all the animals, flora and fauna, and knowledge that they have as they share it with the newest gnome. It is such a fun trip!!

Gorgeously illustrated with amazing detail, littles and adults alike will love exploring this book over and over, finding new things to learn, to talk about and to go and look for in their own lives. I can see this really inspiring some cool creativity in littles as well. This is just a fantastic book and I highly recommend it.

Thank you to NetGalley, Lauren Soloy, and Tundra Publishing/Tundra Books for providing this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

[Hannah Showalter · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm such a sucker for a nature themed picture book with weird little creatures. The art here is so cute! I don't think I liked this one as much as the first one in the series, but I think this one had better messaging and environmentalism talking points.

[Jennifer · Rating 4 out of 5]

Adorable illustrations and story. The emphasis on the small beauties of nature are present in the entire books, and I just want to be a little gnome and live in a the woods and be cozy as well.

[Kelly · Rating 5 out of 5]

Whimsical and delightful, with soem beautiful depth.

[Jaimie · Rating 5 out of 5]

*received as a finished copy as part of the LibraryThing Early Reviewer program

This book was so stinkin’ cute!!! I’ve always been a fan of gnomes, whether they’re the red hat styling type or the English garden variety, and all the lore that goes along with them, so it was a distinct pleasure to venture into the woods to meet the newest gnome. The beings that Soloy has created are nature inspired creatures, with an innate connection to the woodland home wherein they dwell and who take on the characteristics of the forest around them. Each of the gnomes has a charming little personality that they reveal as they show their newest gnome, Grolly Maru, all the natural wonders that make their home unique, which range from exploring the (not so) mysterious sun cycles to creating things inspired by nature’s patterns. The simple storyline, which is essentially an exploration of curiosity (a lovely subject for a children’s book), is painted in luscious watercolours that are evocative of the gnomes’ world and bring a lovely vibrancy to the tale. Soloy weaves action-packed scenes of learning from the elder gnomes with careful moments of quiet reserved for honouring the stillness of the forest, to complete a wonderful day of exploration for Grolly Maru from sunrise to sunset. As we slowly fall asleep beside the gnomes, a distant honourary member of their sleeping pile, we are left with feelings of satisfaction from a day well spent and a peaceful excitement as we look towards tomorrow.

[Jessie (Saffity) · Rating 5 out of 5]

A very cute book about gnomes showing a new gnome the wonders of the world. This whimsical book really caught my daughter's (5) attention. She loved the illustrations and the silly gnome names. The various descriptions of the world were so sweet, the way the story flows through verse, to recipe, to counting was very fun. My daughter now wants to make baked apples with blackberries, and to go looking for mushrooms. She loved the little asides (rabbit poop... not yum), they made her giggle and want to read the pages again. She wanted to take it to her summer camp the next day and I had to explain it was on my phone but we could possibly get the hardcopy that she could take to show and tell once it releases. Definitely one we will be adding to our home library. We read this ebook through NetGalley.

[Regency_Fan_ Michelle RegencyFanMichelleAndMore · Rating 3 out of 5]

(Irish Folk Story) As each gnome shares their role in The Pocket, Grolly is less and less sure about what they should do. But by the light of the full moon, inspiration strikes! A homage to nature, beauty, mindfulness, and community is a reminder to be present and to care for and appreciate the world around us, but it’s also just a delightful stroll through a special and strange yet ultimately familiar place first introduced in The Hidden World of Gnomes.

I received a complimentary e-copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own. Thank you, Tundra Books, Penguin House and NetGalley.

[Bethany · Rating 3 out of 5]

Lauren Soloy takes us on a journey in nature through the eyes of a gnome exploring their new community. Through whimsical illustrations, the reader learns about plants, berries, animals, and even poop! The Newest Gnome gently explores community and respect for the beautiful and natural world around us.

I wasn’t expecting the educational elements within the story – such a bonus! Thanks to @TundraBooks for the gifted ARC!

#TheNewestGnome #NetGalley @TundraBooks #IllustratedChildrensBook #childrensbook #bookreview #childrensbookreview #bookstagram

[Renee Brazeau · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was so glad to see this sequel come out! Very similar to the first. Despite it being the sequel to the first it feels simpler and more digestible for young audiences. I wish it offered a little more of a new take on the gnomes. We didn’t learn much about the newest gnome, Grolly Maru, which felt like a lost opportunity. The story was more focused on showing grolly maru the pocket. I still loved it, even if it felt slightly less developed than the first. I love Lauren Soloy’s ability to observe and honour nature through her children’s picture books.

[Sara · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Newest Gnome is a picture book aimed at nature lovers and those with a keen appreciation for fantasy. Our newest little gnome appears one day, surrounded by a community of older gnomes. They encourage her, show her the wonders of the world they inhabit, and romp around the forest, having a grand time. The illustrations are adorable and bring the story to life. This sneak peek into the hidden, fantastical residents of the forest, rarely seen by people, will delight readers of all ages.

[Allie · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have to be honest - I'm a sucker for "cottage-core" aesthetics so I immediately gravitated to this gnome book and adored the illustrations. Overall I think this is a great book! I think it's a cute and fun way to learn about nature, numbers, etc. Very cute idea.

[Fyre.Katz · Rating 3 out of 5]

So cute!
Artwork and Story is very cute.
And I love the info about wildlife in the forest!

[Diana · Rating 4 out of 5]

cute story aboutt gnomes and nature.