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Nonstop
This book, the final masterpiece from Tomi Ungerer, is a timely, thought-provoking tale of friendship, trust, and hope – this is a must-read for all fans of the artist's iconic work
"Tomi is a spectacular graphic genius." – Maurice Sendak
Tomi Ungerer is an icon in the realms of children's literature and illustration. His work is acclaimed and awarded, and has often been praised by fellow children's book masters such as Maurice Sendak, Eric Carle, and Shel Silverstein.
In this final tale by the legendary author, Earth is devastated and empty. Everyone has escaped to the moon – except Vasco. Luckily, Vasco has his shadow to guide him, and he finds little green Poco – someone to care for and bring to safety. Nonstop dangers await Vasco and baby Poco at every corner, but Vasco's shadow rescues and guides them through destroyed cities and apocalyptic landscapes to safety. Nonstop, the legendary children’s book author's last picture book, sends a powerful message to help guide us through trying times.
Ages 5-8
"Tomi is a spectacular graphic genius." – Maurice Sendak
Tomi Ungerer is an icon in the realms of children's literature and illustration. His work is acclaimed and awarded, and has often been praised by fellow children's book masters such as Maurice Sendak, Eric Carle, and Shel Silverstein.
In this final tale by the legendary author, Earth is devastated and empty. Everyone has escaped to the moon – except Vasco. Luckily, Vasco has his shadow to guide him, and he finds little green Poco – someone to care for and bring to safety. Nonstop dangers await Vasco and baby Poco at every corner, but Vasco's shadow rescues and guides them through destroyed cities and apocalyptic landscapes to safety. Nonstop, the legendary children’s book author's last picture book, sends a powerful message to help guide us through trying times.
Ages 5-8
48 pages, Hardcover
First published May 22, 2019
3 people are currently reading
104 people want to read
About the author
Tomi Ungerer
302 books184 followersJean-Thomas "Tomi" Ungerer was a French illustrator best known for his erotic and political illustrations as well as children's books.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 46 reviews
November 4, 2021
Surreal story about the last person on Earth. Vasco wanders around a desolate landscape - everyone else has gone to the moon (echoing Jonathan King) and Vasco has only his shadow for company and guide. It is only after Vasco finds someone to care for (Poco) that he finds the direction he has been looking for. This is the last book Tomi Ungerer finished before he passed away in 2019.
November 4, 2020
It is dreamlike and haunting and dark and disturbing yet strangely hopeful and encouraging. I read it to my five-year-old worried it might make him anxious, but he was not bothered by it. At first I was startled by the book's strangeness. Now I appreciate it more each time I read it and find it oddly moving and heartening. It makes me grateful for all that I have.
January 4, 2021
Bwhahaha! Break your children's souls with this dark tale of the last person living on a broken, horror-scape earth shattered by human greed and pollution.
Sweet dreams!
Sweet dreams!
February 11, 2021
Don’t Hope, Cope.
February 28, 2025
Uffff! Increïble!
Un àlbum per introduir al cicle superior al surrealisme. Una carrera per la supervivència que va generant angoixa en el lector.
Ideal per parlar de refugiats sense mencionar la paraula i des del simbolisme i la metàfora.
Superobligatori a qualsevol biblioteca escolar de primària!
Un àlbum per introduir al cicle superior al surrealisme. Una carrera per la supervivència que va generant angoixa en el lector.
Ideal per parlar de refugiats sense mencionar la paraula i des del simbolisme i la metàfora.
Superobligatori a qualsevol biblioteca escolar de primària!
August 6, 2021
An exquisite, unsettling masterpiece, this thought-provoking, timely story of seeking, friendship, trust and hope is a message to us all in troubled times, whatever we may be facing. It echoes many previous tales of isolation, separation…finding our heroes in a dystopian world of devastation alone, neglected. In Nonstop, as the graffiti on the wall tells us, “Don’t hope, cope,” Vasco is actually given aid from the most unlikely source…his own shadow. In this dark, forbidding world, rather than one more stark, eerie image, Shadow leads him, guides him out of ever more dangerous surroundings. As long as Vasco follows the directions of his Shadow; representing an inner voice, perhaps his own gut feelings in a world where instinct seems to have no place; Vasco will escape disaster. Not only that, but Shadow leads him to a companion; someone who needs his care, giving Vasco a renewed determination as he “copes” with his circumstances. It’s not all doom and gloom, however. It is this “coping” existence; this developing friendship between Vasco and Poco as they travel together, placing their trust in Shadow, and ultimately each other that brings with it a blooming sense of hope and endurance. Of victory over the turmoils they have gone through. It whispers, at the end, that it is only working together, in trust, that we triumph over the worst possible circumstances. Eerie, sobering, curious and yes; hopeful…one to be pondered, remembered and learned from. The perfect culmination of the lifes’ work of Tomi Ungerer.
May 14, 2021
Knowing that this is Ungerer's final work and that it is one about the last two beings on Earth makes this a read tinged with a little melancholy. Ever since I read 'Y Dun Lleuad' (Moon Man in Welsh) when I was 4, I have always adored Tomi's work. His stories have been as prolific as they have been individualist - never conforming to sales expectations.
In Non Stop, Vasco's shadow leads him through a dystopian landscape that is dark and lifeless...until he stumbles across Poco, a child-like alien whom he must get to safety. Incredible sharp-lined cityscapes crowd the frame and colossal, branchless trees choke the landscape. It's not a book that you would or could associate with hope until the journey's end.
This is a story about fighting through an unrelenting struggle and only stopping when you have reached the end. A curious, typically-Ungererian picturebook that captures his nonconformist flair for form and narrative.
In Non Stop, Vasco's shadow leads him through a dystopian landscape that is dark and lifeless...until he stumbles across Poco, a child-like alien whom he must get to safety. Incredible sharp-lined cityscapes crowd the frame and colossal, branchless trees choke the landscape. It's not a book that you would or could associate with hope until the journey's end.
This is a story about fighting through an unrelenting struggle and only stopping when you have reached the end. A curious, typically-Ungererian picturebook that captures his nonconformist flair for form and narrative.
January 20, 2021
I am unfamiliar with this author/illustrator but this was horrifying and phantasmagorical and weird and I enjoyed it.
December 3, 2021
This was weirder than I really wanted from a kids' (?) book.
February 24, 2021
I was not familiar with Tomi Ungerer’s children’s books before reading NONSTOP, his final children’s picture book. His bestselling book, THE THREE ROBBERS has sold over 2.5 million copies. He was also awarded the Hans Christian Anderson Award for children’s literature in 1998. His experience of living in France during WWII as a child has influenced his works.
This story, as I mentioned above, is a dystopian fiction picture book. So, this won’t be for every child. But, I can promise a happy ending. I wasn’t sure what to expect in a children’s picture book that has a dark and doom type of theme. But, even though it was haunting, it was also hopeful and a story of kindness.
Everyone has left Earth for the moon. All, except Vasco. We don’t know why Vasco is left behind, but he isn’t alone, he has his shadow. His shadow helps lead him away from danger to safety. The shadow also leads him to be helpful to creatures that he comes across along the way. Eventually, Vasco is led to a young creature, Poco, who needs someone to care for him.
The illustrations are dark and desolation is clear as Vasco travels through the city. But, each time there is danger, Vasco is able to make it to safety….until the next obstacle comes along. I feel as if the author was likely knowing he was near the end of his own life and also reminiscing a bit about his own childhood during WWII. Even though the ending is hopeful, there is quite a bit of darkness to get through before the end. As an adult, I can see the point of his story.
Personally, I can’t think of a child that I would be comfortable reading this book to. But, fans of Tomi Ungerer might find this book to be one to add to their collection since it was his last picture book. I don’t think most younger children would understand the author’s focus on pollution, world-ending, and why there are creatures or aliens among the one final human left on Earth. Even though it is a picture book, it’s definitely written for an older audience. It is marketed for ages 5-8, but I don’t necessarily agree with that age recommendation.
This story, as I mentioned above, is a dystopian fiction picture book. So, this won’t be for every child. But, I can promise a happy ending. I wasn’t sure what to expect in a children’s picture book that has a dark and doom type of theme. But, even though it was haunting, it was also hopeful and a story of kindness.
Everyone has left Earth for the moon. All, except Vasco. We don’t know why Vasco is left behind, but he isn’t alone, he has his shadow. His shadow helps lead him away from danger to safety. The shadow also leads him to be helpful to creatures that he comes across along the way. Eventually, Vasco is led to a young creature, Poco, who needs someone to care for him.
The illustrations are dark and desolation is clear as Vasco travels through the city. But, each time there is danger, Vasco is able to make it to safety….until the next obstacle comes along. I feel as if the author was likely knowing he was near the end of his own life and also reminiscing a bit about his own childhood during WWII. Even though the ending is hopeful, there is quite a bit of darkness to get through before the end. As an adult, I can see the point of his story.
Personally, I can’t think of a child that I would be comfortable reading this book to. But, fans of Tomi Ungerer might find this book to be one to add to their collection since it was his last picture book. I don’t think most younger children would understand the author’s focus on pollution, world-ending, and why there are creatures or aliens among the one final human left on Earth. Even though it is a picture book, it’s definitely written for an older audience. It is marketed for ages 5-8, but I don’t necessarily agree with that age recommendation.
May 28, 2025
Children’s book but not really for children. Gorgeous and fitting illustrations for a somber yet hopeful story.
April 1, 2021
Yeah, I would be loathe to read Ungerer's last children's book to my own kid, because it is bleak and insane and not actually intended for children. It's an uncompromising end-of-life distillation of his lifelong themes - that the world is not always a safe place, that rescue and solace can come from unexpected quarters, and that compassion and imagination are the best defense we have against the unstoppable forces of entropy and evil. So not exactly bedtime reading. The illustrations are Ungerer at his most severe - the round faces, welcoming expressions and jaunty colors of his most famous work are replaced with severe but beautiful renderings of a dystopian world nearly devoid of organic life, executed with a somber palette and detached perspective. It feels like he passed away before he could finish illustrating the coda, which leaves the story hanging, the ending ambiguous - an almost more fitting ending than it might have had otherwise. Tomi has kept us on our toes to the very end.
December 17, 2020
Surreal and depressing with an odd piece of hope throughout. You can tell Ungerer was nearing the end of his life when he was writing this. The book is a book about spiritualism, living and being okay to age and pass on. I do not think I would give this to a child, unless you are looking for a book about death without saying it outright (at least two characters you assume are dying/will die). Though for the adult who likes Ungerer's work, loves unusual art (as it is truly an art book) or you're looking for something different or for the person who has everything, this might be a possible gift. Though, I say, find it for yourself and decide from there.
June 16, 2021
Tomi Ungerer does not seem to be talking to his readers in this book, but rather meditating by his own and practicing what he enjoyed most; making a book. This time he is making a recipe: How to make a nice stew when you have abandoned Earth and polluted moon as the broth. How to COPE in such misery, where there is nothing but NOTHING. The ingredients he used are:
1. Trust your heart (SHADOW).
2. Have a purpose (DELIVERING A LETTER ).
3. Care for someone (POCO)
4. Believe in FAITH and everything will always be OK (CAKE).
However, I find it interesting that his final destination was an Egyptian desert where his shadow started to get dimmer and where he finally reached his destiny!
1. Trust your heart (SHADOW).
2. Have a purpose (DELIVERING A LETTER ).
3. Care for someone (POCO)
4. Believe in FAITH and everything will always be OK (CAKE).
However, I find it interesting that his final destination was an Egyptian desert where his shadow started to get dimmer and where he finally reached his destiny!
January 21, 2021
A bleak, treacherous landscape inhabited by a solitary man in an unhappy dream. Maybe there's a name for this genre of weird story. The universe has familiar elements, but it's not the universe we know, and it's not very friendly. Well, Alice went to Wonderland.
Dark illustrations in tune with the theme. The book has the shape of a picture book for children, but it's not the sort of thing many people would wish upon a child.
Dark illustrations in tune with the theme. The book has the shape of a picture book for children, but it's not the sort of thing many people would wish upon a child.
October 24, 2020
The final book from a man who shaped my youthful imagination of what to fesr and embrace - one last excellent allegory for what we take with us during end times. Beautiful art that transmutes the systemic collapse and human(ish) slivers of hope.
March 30, 2021
What a weird little story. I don't think I've ever seen a nightmare captured so effortlessly. It's not scary per se, but absurd and threatening. Has a nice ending. A great book for mixing it up for families stuck in a typical narrative rut!
Recommended for the curious, age 4 to 11.
Recommended for the curious, age 4 to 11.
December 26, 2020
Really wanted to like this more.
January 25, 2021
Beautiful and thought-provoking.
February 9, 2021
Wonderfully weird and strange and excellent and absolutely just as much for adults as it is for kids.
February 17, 2021
I'm not sure what I read, but it was creepy and surreal and I liked it. I'm not sure children would though.
March 2, 2021
A dystopian picture book, pretty obscure but the illustrations are fab and it's definitely a conversation starter for all readers!
Read
March 14, 2021I don't get this one at all. Translated from German.
December 15, 2024
Translated from German, this is Ungerer's final work: a cautionary tale of the future...
Vasco is the last person on a dystopic Earth, as everyone else has moved to the moon. A mysterious shadow continues to guide him to safety - JUST IN TIME. He meets a creature who asks him to mail a letter to his wife; it has no address, however the creature reassures Vasco that "it will find its way". Vasco continues his adventure until he finds himself in a hospital, where he hands over the letter. The mother begs Vasco to take her little Poco with him. They continue on their adventure, running from one dangerous place to another until they reach their final destination.
Ungerer's artwork is stark and very primitive. It mirrors the text, giving only the most basic of information for the reader to expand on and "fill in the blanks" with their imagination. Solid color blocks of color on a black or gray background helps build tension.
I have always considered Ungerer an underappreciated genius in the U.S. His last book is no exception. It serves as a cautionary tale of all the things that humans have to lose if they continue abusing existing resources on the Earth.
This would make a terrific discussion starter - guess what is next? What other options do you see? What would you do if in the man's situation?
Highly Recommended for grades PreS-3.
Vasco is the last person on a dystopic Earth, as everyone else has moved to the moon. A mysterious shadow continues to guide him to safety - JUST IN TIME. He meets a creature who asks him to mail a letter to his wife; it has no address, however the creature reassures Vasco that "it will find its way". Vasco continues his adventure until he finds himself in a hospital, where he hands over the letter. The mother begs Vasco to take her little Poco with him. They continue on their adventure, running from one dangerous place to another until they reach their final destination.
Ungerer's artwork is stark and very primitive. It mirrors the text, giving only the most basic of information for the reader to expand on and "fill in the blanks" with their imagination. Solid color blocks of color on a black or gray background helps build tension.
I have always considered Ungerer an underappreciated genius in the U.S. His last book is no exception. It serves as a cautionary tale of all the things that humans have to lose if they continue abusing existing resources on the Earth.
This would make a terrific discussion starter - guess what is next? What other options do you see? What would you do if in the man's situation?
Highly Recommended for grades PreS-3.
January 21, 2022
A man is wandering a desolate, abandoned planet earth. He encounters a creature called Nothing who gives him a letter with no address which the man is assured will get to the right place. As the man continues to wander he encounters Nothing's wife which is who the letter was intended for. The wife then asks the man to take care of her child. The man wanders with the child, avoiding dangers with the help of his shadow. Eventually they find a cake that is safety and refuge.
Like I said, strange. Not recommended for storytime.
Like I said, strange. Not recommended for storytime.
December 1, 2020
I found this book to be unsettling. I'm assuming that was the point. "Don't Hope Cope" is printed on a wall in this book. It's a grim reminder that we have work to do beyond hoping for a better outcome. This is a bleak world and our main characters face danger throughout it. All the people on the planet have gone to the moon ("Polluted by humanity, the moon shone mottled black.") It's dark. Literally. Not sure how this will go over with kids, but as an adult it's not too nice.
January 20, 2021
On a desolated Earth that has been ruined by humans, Vasco remains with his shadow. This shadow guides him through obstacles to rescue Poco and find solace in a gigantic cake. Only then, when Vasco and Poco have found safety, does Vasco's shadow disappear.
Bizarre and absurd...with a pretty heavy-handed note on climate change and pollution (that I honestly don't think children will understand). Skip.
Bizarre and absurd...with a pretty heavy-handed note on climate change and pollution (that I honestly don't think children will understand). Skip.
December 19, 2024
This might seem like just a kids' picture book, but it casually uses words like "phantasmagorical".
It's a simple story, but powerful. There's appealing art that's somber but really imaginative. It's like a post-apocalyptic world done in the style of Yellow Submarine. It creates a lot of mixed feelings, but in a good way.
It's a simple story, but powerful. There's appealing art that's somber but really imaginative. It's like a post-apocalyptic world done in the style of Yellow Submarine. It creates a lot of mixed feelings, but in a good way.
July 2, 2022
What a stupendous book to finish a lifetime of masterpieces with. It’s closer to de Chirico and Dino Buzzati (and even Russell Hoban’s novels) than your average picture book. A dizzying, haunting, melancholy but ultimately hopeful masterpiece. I’ll never stop thinking about this beautiful thing
Displaying 1 - 30 of 46 reviews