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The Snatchabook
One dark, dark night in Burrow Down, a rabbit named Eliza Brown found a book and settled down... when a Snatchabook flew into town.
Unknown Binding
First published January 1, 2013
About the author
Helen Docherty
34 books43 followersHelen Docherty is an internationally published author of many rhyming picture books, including the highly acclaimed Someone Just Like You, illustrated by David Roberts. Helen's books have been translated into 27 languages and staged as plays and musicals for children, in the UK, Germany and Canada. She often collaborates with her husband, the illustrator and author Thomas Docherty, and together they have produced many award-winning picture books, including The Snatchabook, The Storybook Knight ( The Knight Who Wouldn't Fight), Superwolf, Pirate Nell's Tale to Tell, The Screen Thief and Blue Baboon Finds Her Tune. She has also collaborated with many other illustrators, most recently Daniela Sosa, Steven Lenton and Brizida Magro. Helen worked for many years as a language teacher in Mexico City and the UK before becoming an author. She also has an MA in Film and Television Production (Bristol University), which helped to develop her skills in crafting narrative. You can learn more about Helen, her books and story-writing workshops by visiting her website.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 454 reviews
January 22, 2026
"One dark, dark night in Burrow Down,Burrow down is the charming and bustling village of anthropomorphic animals who live in trees, hollows, and underground.
a rabbit named Eliza Brown
found a book and settled down...
when a Snatchabook flew into town."
Every night, some go under blankets, or pile all in one bed, or cuddle in chairs, but they have one thing in common:
But then...the books start to go missing. Eliza Brown wakes up just in time to see a little tail tucking out of her window and stealing off into the night.
"In every house, in every bed
a bedtime book was being read"
She decides that enough is enough - someone has to do something! And if no one else wants to step up - SHE WILL!
Ohmygosh. This one was really cute. Like really, really cute!!
I freaking loved all the anthropomorphic animals and the little town that the author created. Seriously, the illustrations are top notch.
It was adorable to see all the families their little houses - bunnies, badgers, owls, hedgehogs and more. I loved the cozy vibe of those little fellas.
The story was really sweet. Eliza Brown was such a brave little rabbit and I loved how much she loved to read.
I think this was a wonderful book - and I'm really happy that I was able to read it to my little one!
December 7, 2020
There’s an over abundance of cuteness in this short tale about kids whose books begin disappearing till none are left. Eliza the rabbit figures out what’s going on and makes the teeny book thief return all he stole, then rewards him by reading bedtime stories to him. So theft is bad, restitution’s good, and having someone read you a story before sleeping is the best.
July 20, 2016
The Snatchabook is a pure joy to read! Especially out loud. The words and lines rolled off my tongue. Rhyming lines that moved and flowed creating a magical storyland filled with cute critters, mystery, and the love of reading.
Books are disappearing from all over Burrow Down. Our hero, Eliza Brown, is determined to solve the crime and capture the book thief red handed!
”Eliza saw a shadow loom,
enormous – right across her room.
What kind of monster could it be?
Eliza thought: You don’t scare me!
And yet, her heart was beating fast –
she’d have to face the thief at last…”
Every shadow, warm bed side light, and wide eyed look of story wonder made my heart happy. A fun reading experience highlighting the power of reading, sharing and the rewarding feeling of making a wrong– right.
I highly recommend this wonder of a tale to read again and again.
p.s. If your kids bring home book orders from school, check for this one. It is so worth the buy. :)
September 2, 2025
A charming tale for booklovers! Adorable illustrations to boot!
Ages: 3 - 7
Here’s a few of our bedtime favs: watch my reel!
Content Considerations: one picture shows ghosts/witches - not scary.
**Like my reviews? Then you should follow me! Because I have hundreds more just like this one. With each review, I provide Content Considerations, mentioning any objectionable content I come across so that parents and/or conscientious readers (like me) can determine beforehand whether they want to read a book or not. Content surprises are super annoying, especially when you’re 100+ pages in, so here’s my attempt to help you avoid that!
If you’re considering a book or looking for a new title to read, check out my highly categorized shelves, read my reviews and Friend or Follow me to spiff up your feed with clean, wholesome, living books.
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Ages: 3 - 7
Here’s a few of our bedtime favs: watch my reel!
Content Considerations: one picture shows ghosts/witches - not scary.
**Like my reviews? Then you should follow me! Because I have hundreds more just like this one. With each review, I provide Content Considerations, mentioning any objectionable content I come across so that parents and/or conscientious readers (like me) can determine beforehand whether they want to read a book or not. Content surprises are super annoying, especially when you’re 100+ pages in, so here’s my attempt to help you avoid that!
If you’re considering a book or looking for a new title to read, check out my highly categorized shelves, read my reviews and Friend or Follow me to spiff up your feed with clean, wholesome, living books.
I have an Instagram account that’s pretty bookishly unique too!
June 14, 2013
The story of how all the books in Burrow Down start disappearing is told in rhyming text. Eliza Brown, a rabbit, solves the mystery, and finds a way to make the Snatchabook and all the book owners happy. I have to say that this might be my worst possible nightmare--to have someone or something take my book away before I finished reading it. With colorful illustrations and an appealing heroine who also happens to love reading and sharing books with others, this picture book is sure to appeal to readers everywhere and remind parents and caregivers to make sure to read books aloud to their children every day. I'm not sure why the snatchabook didn't just head to the library, though.
July 12, 2013
Originally posted on my blog: http://bookandbabes.blogspot.com/2013...
I received this ARC from Sourcebooks at ALA Annual 2013
------
Oh my goodness! This book is one of my favorites, and I am already reading it often to Taylor. The story is quite simple, and very cute. Everyone's bedtime books are being stolen in the blink of an eye, and Eliza wants to stop it from going on. When she finds out why the books are being stolen by the Snatchabook, she befriends the creature. All books are returned and the rest of the town takes turns nightly including Snatchabook in their bedtime reading routines.
As you can see, this book cam easily demonstrate the power of sharing. Sometimes when people are left out, they will do bad things. Sometimes when people share, people will do nice things. While that is a very simple meaning that can be drawn from the book, it is still a powerful one. The rhyme and rhythm of this book does nothing but justice, creating an easy free-flowing read that helps younger readers to sound out unknown words. The illustrations are beautiful by themselves, creating an adorable animal world, with plenty of visual details that entertained my 6 month old as well as myself.
This is not your run-of-the-mill children's picture book. This one teaches morals, has wonderful illustrations and rhyme, and really remind readers the power and love of a bedtime story.
My Rating: 5 stars, hands down. Go buy this book for your kids or grandkids. It's absolutely wonderful.
Jenni
I received this ARC from Sourcebooks at ALA Annual 2013
------
Oh my goodness! This book is one of my favorites, and I am already reading it often to Taylor. The story is quite simple, and very cute. Everyone's bedtime books are being stolen in the blink of an eye, and Eliza wants to stop it from going on. When she finds out why the books are being stolen by the Snatchabook, she befriends the creature. All books are returned and the rest of the town takes turns nightly including Snatchabook in their bedtime reading routines.
As you can see, this book cam easily demonstrate the power of sharing. Sometimes when people are left out, they will do bad things. Sometimes when people share, people will do nice things. While that is a very simple meaning that can be drawn from the book, it is still a powerful one. The rhyme and rhythm of this book does nothing but justice, creating an easy free-flowing read that helps younger readers to sound out unknown words. The illustrations are beautiful by themselves, creating an adorable animal world, with plenty of visual details that entertained my 6 month old as well as myself.
This is not your run-of-the-mill children's picture book. This one teaches morals, has wonderful illustrations and rhyme, and really remind readers the power and love of a bedtime story.
My Rating: 5 stars, hands down. Go buy this book for your kids or grandkids. It's absolutely wonderful.
Jenni
December 31, 2019
This is a wonderful book for kids.
It is about a town where everyone reads a bedtime story and all of a sudden all the bedtime storybooks are being snatched. No one has a clue who is doing it. Little Eliza Brown tries to solve this mystery. She finally finds out that Snatchabook a creature was actually snatching the books. She realizes that he is alone and has nobody to read him bedtime stories and that is probably the reason behind his such behavior. She helps him and he returns all the books he snatched.
This book gives hope to the reader that if you ever make a mistake, you need to accept it and rest everything will be fine. People will forgive you. Also, we should try to understand the reason behind people’s actions and reactions. There might be something we can do to help them or solve their problems.
I loved the presentation of this book. The illustrations are spot on and impressive. My 4-year-old enjoyed it thoroughly.
It is about a town where everyone reads a bedtime story and all of a sudden all the bedtime storybooks are being snatched. No one has a clue who is doing it. Little Eliza Brown tries to solve this mystery. She finally finds out that Snatchabook a creature was actually snatching the books. She realizes that he is alone and has nobody to read him bedtime stories and that is probably the reason behind his such behavior. She helps him and he returns all the books he snatched.
This book gives hope to the reader that if you ever make a mistake, you need to accept it and rest everything will be fine. People will forgive you. Also, we should try to understand the reason behind people’s actions and reactions. There might be something we can do to help them or solve their problems.
I loved the presentation of this book. The illustrations are spot on and impressive. My 4-year-old enjoyed it thoroughly.
November 22, 2017
Symppis tarina ja ihana kuvitus. Tykkäsin.
September 4, 2018
“He looked so sad. If he just had a mom or dad to read him stories every night—well, then he might behave alright!”
January 2, 2024
In het Engels heet dit boek 'The Snatchabook' en dan vind ik Het Boekenliefje (nadat het boekendíefje is gesnapt en wordt omgedoopt tot boekenLiefje) helemaal geen sterke vertaling.
Ook heb ik gezien dat het origineel rijmt, dat is bij deze vertaling niet het geval, en het is ook niet geprobeerd. Wat een gemiste kans want de titel en de rijmschema's in het origineel zijn twee heel sterke én literaire punten van dit prentenboek. Ik zou het bijna zelf beter willen vertalen voordat ik het voorlees aan mijn kleuterklas.
Het plot is niet dik of bijzonder spannend, en doordat het ook nog eens niet rijmt en het wezen geen spannende naam heeft loopt het verhaal minder lekker.
Zou ik het boek dan toch gebruiken? Ja, de illustraties zijn mooi en het is boek is een aardige brug naar het soort boeken dat in dit prentenboek vernoemd worden. het origineel staat in mijn optiek veel meer op zichzelf, zoals het een zichzelf respecterend boek betaamt.
Het origineel zou van mij 4 sterren krijgen, ik geef uitgeverij Clavis 3 sterren voor hun vertaling.
Ook heb ik gezien dat het origineel rijmt, dat is bij deze vertaling niet het geval, en het is ook niet geprobeerd. Wat een gemiste kans want de titel en de rijmschema's in het origineel zijn twee heel sterke én literaire punten van dit prentenboek. Ik zou het bijna zelf beter willen vertalen voordat ik het voorlees aan mijn kleuterklas.
Het plot is niet dik of bijzonder spannend, en doordat het ook nog eens niet rijmt en het wezen geen spannende naam heeft loopt het verhaal minder lekker.
Zou ik het boek dan toch gebruiken? Ja, de illustraties zijn mooi en het is boek is een aardige brug naar het soort boeken dat in dit prentenboek vernoemd worden. het origineel staat in mijn optiek veel meer op zichzelf, zoals het een zichzelf respecterend boek betaamt.
Het origineel zou van mij 4 sterren krijgen, ik geef uitgeverij Clavis 3 sterren voor hun vertaling.
August 9, 2024
As this cozy picture book starts, “In every house, in every bed, a bedtime book was being read”. Rabbits and owls, squirrels and raccoons, all read their bedtime stories, until suddenly, books start disappearing. But who could it be? No one sees them, no one hears them, but someone is stealing all the books in Burrow Down!
Luckily, rabbit Eliza Brown is on the case! The wonderfully rhyming words and truly adorable pictures in this picture book make it a wonderful story to read, especially before bed. Adults will appreciate how the book illustrates how special it is to have a caregiver who can read a story to a young child, and children will love the rhyming mystery told throughout. Loved it!
Sarah M. | Marathon County Public Library
See this book in our catalog.
Luckily, rabbit Eliza Brown is on the case! The wonderfully rhyming words and truly adorable pictures in this picture book make it a wonderful story to read, especially before bed. Adults will appreciate how the book illustrates how special it is to have a caregiver who can read a story to a young child, and children will love the rhyming mystery told throughout. Loved it!
Sarah M. | Marathon County Public Library
See this book in our catalog.
August 1, 2017
Poor little Snatchabook has no one to read him stories, so he sets out on a quest to amass his own collection - by thieving tomes from all the animals around. Fortunately, a kindly rabbit steps in to solve the mystery and finds a solution to everyone's problems.
STORIES ARE IMPORTANT, YO.
STORIES ARE IMPORTANT, YO.
July 15, 2020
This is a beautiful book. I have since purchased this book for my library. It is a book I love to read aloud to my students. It is a great book to emphasize the importance of books and sharing them. The illustrations are beautiful! One of my favorite read alouds!
July 22, 2020
Knížka většího (nestandardního) formátu s překrásnými ilustracemi, které vás osloví velmi, řekla bych i víc než text samotný, ten je v rýmech, které jsou příjemné. Pointa příběhu je poučná a povedeně doplňuje celou knížku.
October 27, 2017
All the books are disappearing and there's only one creature to blame - the snatchabook! A funny and entertaining story to read aloud to the little ones!
January 18, 2023
A wonderful rhyming picture book about the sad little creature who longs to be read to at bedtime. Perfect for bedtime reading and a lovely nod to family read alouds.
May 31, 2014
This Review originally published at http://rawrisforreading.wordpress.com...
The Snatchabook is good for a quick bedtime read, and then pass it along to another friend or family to enjoy. The story is entertaining, but lacks a true hook.
The cover is appealing as it looks like a feel-good adventure story. The artwork is colorful and textured, and while the cover image is of rabbit reading to the snatchabook, the book title displays a classic adventure-style font that slightly juxtaposes the warm, friendly cover image.
The illustrations throughout the book are quite beautiful; they are intricate and glow with an array of warm colors. The illustrations create the cozy feel of cuddling up with a book, which is exactly what readers are predicted to be doing. This is a bed time story after all.
The story itself is a series of short rhymes. The animal families of Burrow Down are confused as to why all of their books are disappearing. Until one night, a rabbit named Eliza Brown discovers the snatchabook. As it turns out, the snatchabook is simply a misunderstood creature and Eliza Brown is able to resolve the issue of missing books. What I like In about this story is the consideration of a night without a bedtime story, or owning any stories at all. The burrow was distraught at their missing books and this invokes reader sympathy. What would it be like without any books? And also, what about the children who aren’t read books at bedtime,or even at all? The story poses a challenging question to readers by way of a playful rhyme and beautiful pictures.
One of the images shows four families with parents reading to their children in bed. In each image the child is imagining him or herself within each story, displaying the use of reading as escapism but also reinforcing the idea that reading is playful and has a way of connecting people. Therefore, the snatchabook dilemma creates a real problem in the story.
One plot hole of the story is the discovery of the snatchabook. If the creature’s name implies his nature, why does the creature hang its head in shame? The character as an antagonist is severely underdeveloped. Why does the small creature have no one to read to him? While the snatchabook itself is a creative invention, I wished it had been a more rounded character.
Overall, The Snatchabook was a cute and engaging story of a small, misunderstood creature and the havoc he creates by snatching books from the families of Burrow Down. The rhyme and warm illustrations make this a good bedtime read-aloud, but some developments, specifically that of the snatchabook itself, are vague or ignored. It’s a good story. Share it with your kids or siblings. However, the story’s dilemma is simple and might not make for a favorite read.
The Snatchabook is good for a quick bedtime read, and then pass it along to another friend or family to enjoy. The story is entertaining, but lacks a true hook.
The cover is appealing as it looks like a feel-good adventure story. The artwork is colorful and textured, and while the cover image is of rabbit reading to the snatchabook, the book title displays a classic adventure-style font that slightly juxtaposes the warm, friendly cover image.
The illustrations throughout the book are quite beautiful; they are intricate and glow with an array of warm colors. The illustrations create the cozy feel of cuddling up with a book, which is exactly what readers are predicted to be doing. This is a bed time story after all.
The story itself is a series of short rhymes. The animal families of Burrow Down are confused as to why all of their books are disappearing. Until one night, a rabbit named Eliza Brown discovers the snatchabook. As it turns out, the snatchabook is simply a misunderstood creature and Eliza Brown is able to resolve the issue of missing books. What I like In about this story is the consideration of a night without a bedtime story, or owning any stories at all. The burrow was distraught at their missing books and this invokes reader sympathy. What would it be like without any books? And also, what about the children who aren’t read books at bedtime,or even at all? The story poses a challenging question to readers by way of a playful rhyme and beautiful pictures.
One of the images shows four families with parents reading to their children in bed. In each image the child is imagining him or herself within each story, displaying the use of reading as escapism but also reinforcing the idea that reading is playful and has a way of connecting people. Therefore, the snatchabook dilemma creates a real problem in the story.
One plot hole of the story is the discovery of the snatchabook. If the creature’s name implies his nature, why does the creature hang its head in shame? The character as an antagonist is severely underdeveloped. Why does the small creature have no one to read to him? While the snatchabook itself is a creative invention, I wished it had been a more rounded character.
Overall, The Snatchabook was a cute and engaging story of a small, misunderstood creature and the havoc he creates by snatching books from the families of Burrow Down. The rhyme and warm illustrations make this a good bedtime read-aloud, but some developments, specifically that of the snatchabook itself, are vague or ignored. It’s a good story. Share it with your kids or siblings. However, the story’s dilemma is simple and might not make for a favorite read.
October 28, 2013
This adorable little rhyming fable is sure to become a classic and I would vote a hearty "yes" to have that happen. The setting is in a sleepy, lazy little nook, named Burrow Down. All different types of critters live there and they all love to read. When the lights dim at night all the mom's and dad's tuck their little ones in with a good night bedtime story. If you could peek into all their cozy homes you would find parents reading aloud and the kids wide-eyed with their ears tuned into every word that is being read to them.
One little bunny, the heroine of the story, Eliza Brown, is happily reading her book before retiring, when suddenly it is snatched away. Gone. Stunned, she cannot figure out how it happened but later discovers that all over Burrow Down books are being stolen by some unknown thief! Day after day the books vanish until the book shelves are nearly bare. Everyone is upset and nearly frantic because they do not know what is happening to their precious books. Bravely Eliza steps forward and purposes to find the culprit and solve this "book stealing" mystery.
She hatches a plan to bait the robber with a huge pile of books and then she stays awake to confront him and tell him of his wrong-doing. Long hours pass, she nearly falls asleep but suddenly is startled awake by the flapping of wings outside her window. Is it a bat? Is it a bird? A huge shadow is cast across her room but she is unmoved....she needs to get to the bottom of this. She opens her window wide and shouts:
"Stop stealing all our books,
right now!
Just them give them back,
I don't care how!"
Who, the what, and the why she discovers is not what she expected at all. Eliza Brown learns some valuable life lessons that night when she comes face to face with the Snatchabook. She learns not to judge before all the evidence is in and she learns the power of sharing with one less fortunate than herself. Other great lessons are: you must ask permission to take something before you go ahead on your own and just take it, and always, always right a wrong after it's done. The best lesson, we the readers can tuck into our hearts is how important it is to spend quality, cuddle time at the end of a long day (or anytime during the day) reading aloud to our little ones.
The illustrations are beautifully executed in a stunning pallet of subdued night tones that are colourful, warm and inviting. It is a perfect read-aloud and tailor-made for a bedtime story.
One little bunny, the heroine of the story, Eliza Brown, is happily reading her book before retiring, when suddenly it is snatched away. Gone. Stunned, she cannot figure out how it happened but later discovers that all over Burrow Down books are being stolen by some unknown thief! Day after day the books vanish until the book shelves are nearly bare. Everyone is upset and nearly frantic because they do not know what is happening to their precious books. Bravely Eliza steps forward and purposes to find the culprit and solve this "book stealing" mystery.
She hatches a plan to bait the robber with a huge pile of books and then she stays awake to confront him and tell him of his wrong-doing. Long hours pass, she nearly falls asleep but suddenly is startled awake by the flapping of wings outside her window. Is it a bat? Is it a bird? A huge shadow is cast across her room but she is unmoved....she needs to get to the bottom of this. She opens her window wide and shouts:
"Stop stealing all our books,
right now!
Just them give them back,
I don't care how!"
Who, the what, and the why she discovers is not what she expected at all. Eliza Brown learns some valuable life lessons that night when she comes face to face with the Snatchabook. She learns not to judge before all the evidence is in and she learns the power of sharing with one less fortunate than herself. Other great lessons are: you must ask permission to take something before you go ahead on your own and just take it, and always, always right a wrong after it's done. The best lesson, we the readers can tuck into our hearts is how important it is to spend quality, cuddle time at the end of a long day (or anytime during the day) reading aloud to our little ones.
The illustrations are beautifully executed in a stunning pallet of subdued night tones that are colourful, warm and inviting. It is a perfect read-aloud and tailor-made for a bedtime story.
July 23, 2013
The Snatchabook by Helen Docherty and illustrated by Thomas Docherty has instantly become one of my favorite books. Not only because it centers around a mystery and reading, but because it is also about parents reading to their children! I love a great mystery and when books start disappearing all around the forest. Eliza Brown (a little brown rabbit) decides she is going to solve the mystery by setting a trap for the storybook thief.
Eliza is successful in not only catching the thief, but also having all of the books returned to her forest friends. The book has a wonderful ending of redemption and turning a "wrong into a right". Although a mistake was made redemption and forgiveness is the moral of the story.
The illustrations are beautifully drawn by the author's husband, Thomas Docherty. The stark contrast between the crispy, dark night with a large full moon and the warm bedrooms of the animals is amazing. It shows the coziness of the families as they share the special bedtime ritual of reading together. The expressions on each of the faces of the animals conveys the interest they have in book being read. Their demeanor changes dramatically and with wonderful characterization when the animals come together to discuss their situation. I don't want to ruin the heartwarming ending, but I will say I love the bright sunshiny day depicted at the end when everything is resolved.
I would highly recommend this book for all libraries with children's collections. For bibliophiles like myself, you will most definitely want to add this title to your own collection of picture books. Just watch out, so it doesn't disappear!
*To comply with new guidelines introduced by the Federal Trade Commission, Sourcebooks, Inc. has provided a complimentary advanced reader copy of this book.
Eliza is successful in not only catching the thief, but also having all of the books returned to her forest friends. The book has a wonderful ending of redemption and turning a "wrong into a right". Although a mistake was made redemption and forgiveness is the moral of the story.
The illustrations are beautifully drawn by the author's husband, Thomas Docherty. The stark contrast between the crispy, dark night with a large full moon and the warm bedrooms of the animals is amazing. It shows the coziness of the families as they share the special bedtime ritual of reading together. The expressions on each of the faces of the animals conveys the interest they have in book being read. Their demeanor changes dramatically and with wonderful characterization when the animals come together to discuss their situation. I don't want to ruin the heartwarming ending, but I will say I love the bright sunshiny day depicted at the end when everything is resolved.
I would highly recommend this book for all libraries with children's collections. For bibliophiles like myself, you will most definitely want to add this title to your own collection of picture books. Just watch out, so it doesn't disappear!
*To comply with new guidelines introduced by the Federal Trade Commission, Sourcebooks, Inc. has provided a complimentary advanced reader copy of this book.
November 29, 2015
The Snatchabook is hands down one of the best rhyming stories I have read aside from Dr.Seuss. This is saying a lot for me, because I am obsessed with his work. This book however blew me away, the words seemed to jump right off the page. I read it alone three times before even sharing with my class. I was so excited to share it with them that they were about to jump out of their pants waiting for me to begin. The illustrations alone speak for themselves and even doing a picture walk with this book entices the reader to read the story. This book is about rabbit who is cuddled into bed and suddenly her book was taken from her in the blink of an eye. She figures out that others in Burrow Down had similar instances. Soon all the books were taken from their homes and she was on a mission to find out why. When she discovers the criminal to this crime, we see Eliza's character shift in dynamics. She becomes heartfelt to the Snatchabook, and finds a way to help solve his problem. This book related to my kids on so many levels because we talked about how their parents read to them at night, and what it must have felt like to not have that opportunity. We also were able to see how sharing a piece of yourself with someone can go a long way. So compassion for others was a big conversation after this book. I incorporated this read as a read aloud during my unit of rhyming and alliteration. We read it for multiple days and my students wanted to read it on their own time. So I would recommend this book with more than 5 stars alone.
May 6, 2016
Read in Dutch, but will write review in English, because everyone should read this book and the book's language is originally English. So everyone can read it. :)
This book was adorable. I loved our main character who is a bunny and who loves reading a lot. Well, she is not alone though, everyone in the town (if that is what you want to call it) loves reading. Then one day books get stolen, poof! I loved how it was done and how we saw the effects. Children crying (they wanted their bedtime stories!), parents who also love reading were angry and a lot more.
Of course the thief has a big reason why he stole the books, and I really liked that reason and I felt sorry for the little guy. Stealing is bad, but I can imagine why he did what he did. Everyone likes being read to. And it is terribly sad if one creature just wants love but no one gives him that.
This book is perfect for kids, but also parents or adults who love reading.
The illustrations are what pulled me into the story and I am not disappointed, they are absolutely gorgeous and I really enjoyed looking at the illustrations when I was done with the bit of text. The colours are soft but also colourful. And they change with the mood. The stealing or sadder parts are darker, while the other parts are more filled with light.
All in all, this is one picture book I would highly recommend!
Review first posted at http://twirlingbookprincess.com/
This book was adorable. I loved our main character who is a bunny and who loves reading a lot. Well, she is not alone though, everyone in the town (if that is what you want to call it) loves reading. Then one day books get stolen, poof! I loved how it was done and how we saw the effects. Children crying (they wanted their bedtime stories!), parents who also love reading were angry and a lot more.
Of course the thief has a big reason why he stole the books, and I really liked that reason and I felt sorry for the little guy. Stealing is bad, but I can imagine why he did what he did. Everyone likes being read to. And it is terribly sad if one creature just wants love but no one gives him that.
This book is perfect for kids, but also parents or adults who love reading.
The illustrations are what pulled me into the story and I am not disappointed, they are absolutely gorgeous and I really enjoyed looking at the illustrations when I was done with the bit of text. The colours are soft but also colourful. And they change with the mood. The stealing or sadder parts are darker, while the other parts are more filled with light.
All in all, this is one picture book I would highly recommend!
Review first posted at http://twirlingbookprincess.com/
September 30, 2013
What will you do when you can no longer find your favorite books at their usual locations in your home?
That’s the problem the animals in the woods of Burrow Down have to face. Books are mysteriously disappearing and no one knows why such absurd thing is happening! Eliza wants to do something about the situation and she refuses to go to bed until she gets this mystery resolved. Can she find out what’s really going on?
I absolutely adored the story! The words rhymed beautifully and it’s hard to resist not to read the words out loud. I also liked the illustrations – they’re colorful, warm and cheery – and I found myself admiring the artwork as I read the story. If you like children’s books that are fun and uplifting, you’ll want to add The Snatchabook to your library.
To view some of the illustrations, go to: http://thomasdocherty.co.uk/Illustration.htm
--
Originally posted on LeisureReads.com
A copy of the book was provided by publisher for review purposes.
That’s the problem the animals in the woods of Burrow Down have to face. Books are mysteriously disappearing and no one knows why such absurd thing is happening! Eliza wants to do something about the situation and she refuses to go to bed until she gets this mystery resolved. Can she find out what’s really going on?
I absolutely adored the story! The words rhymed beautifully and it’s hard to resist not to read the words out loud. I also liked the illustrations – they’re colorful, warm and cheery – and I found myself admiring the artwork as I read the story. If you like children’s books that are fun and uplifting, you’ll want to add The Snatchabook to your library.
To view some of the illustrations, go to: http://thomasdocherty.co.uk/Illustration.htm
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Originally posted on LeisureReads.com
A copy of the book was provided by publisher for review purposes.
December 6, 2013
The Snatchabook by Helen Docherty, illustrated by Thomas Docherty, published 2013.
Magic realism.
Picture book.
Pre-K to grade 1.
Found via School Library Journal, reviewed by Brooke Rasche.
In Burrow Down, books are disappearing from children's rooms every night. Eliza decides to catch the Snatchabook in the act and creates a trap with a tall pile of books--once she discovers the Snatchabook, Eliza figures out how to return the books to the children and keep the lonely Snatchabook, who just loves books, happy and loved. The highlight of this book is the snappy verse, making it an excellent read-aloud, and the pictures match the text well and provide lots of detail for children to look at during rereads. Reviewer Rasche agrees, noting, "With rhyming text reminiscent of Dr. Seuss's work, this book refuses to be read silently. [...] This book is a fabulous fit for both storytime and one-on-one reading." There is no objectionable content in this book.
Magic realism.
Picture book.
Pre-K to grade 1.
Found via School Library Journal, reviewed by Brooke Rasche.
In Burrow Down, books are disappearing from children's rooms every night. Eliza decides to catch the Snatchabook in the act and creates a trap with a tall pile of books--once she discovers the Snatchabook, Eliza figures out how to return the books to the children and keep the lonely Snatchabook, who just loves books, happy and loved. The highlight of this book is the snappy verse, making it an excellent read-aloud, and the pictures match the text well and provide lots of detail for children to look at during rereads. Reviewer Rasche agrees, noting, "With rhyming text reminiscent of Dr. Seuss's work, this book refuses to be read silently. [...] This book is a fabulous fit for both storytime and one-on-one reading." There is no objectionable content in this book.
March 5, 2024
Books are being snatched! Who's snatching the books? What are the residents to do?! All is told in this wonderfully unique tale of a misunderstood creature that only wants to enjoy the stories of the books they are snatching like everyone else. I have not come across any other story such as this and I have thoroughly enjoyed reading it and reading it during story times. This book keeps the kiddos guessing and teaches the reader (or listener) that it isn't okay to steal things but it is okay to make mistakes and those mistakes can be made right again.
June 13, 2018
The rhyming works in this, and the illustrations are adorable. The ending is cute, too. Definitely will read in storytime. A good read-alone and very good lap-read (especially at bedtime).
1/7/15 Used in Books & Libraries theme. Such an adorable book. Definitely held interest.
6/13/18 Used in R theme. Meant for reading, but one of my former regulars returning for the summer break picked up Rabbit, too. Clever guy!
1/7/15 Used in Books & Libraries theme. Such an adorable book. Definitely held interest.
6/13/18 Used in R theme. Meant for reading, but one of my former regulars returning for the summer break picked up Rabbit, too. Clever guy!
October 19, 2016
Teaches the very important lesson that it's rude to steal other peoples' books. Especially when they are reading them.
I don't think my siblings and I ever learned this lesson. That's why we always read multiple books at the same time, so if one of us wandered off with one of the books, we always had something else to fall back on.
Cute illustrations and fun rhyming text. Seeing all the different animals in their dens and burrows having bedtime stories was very cute.
I don't think my siblings and I ever learned this lesson. That's why we always read multiple books at the same time, so if one of us wandered off with one of the books, we always had something else to fall back on.
Cute illustrations and fun rhyming text. Seeing all the different animals in their dens and burrows having bedtime stories was very cute.
October 13, 2013
What would happen at bedtime if all the storybooks were stolen? One feisty bunny decides to get to the bottom of this woodland mystery. Helen Docherty and her husband Thomas Docherty team to create an absolutely charming tale about books, reading and bedtime rituals.
My full review: http://bit.ly/18sgANy
My full review: http://bit.ly/18sgANy
September 28, 2014
What if someone took all the books and you were worried you wouldn't have any to read anymore? When that happens to Eliza, she can't let her books disappear. So she sets a trap to find out who's taking everyone's books.
June 9, 2015
What a precious story! Told in rhyme, it delighted all of my children, and left us smiling and wanting more. "I'm just a little snatchabook" quickly became part of our family insider language! Too cute!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 11, 2016
Beautiful illustrations and the rhyme scheme is very good (one or two hitches; note that I was reading quickly). Not sure why no insta-love from me, exactly. (I would buy it if kids' books weren't so dad-blammed expensive these days.)
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