Gnu and Shrew

by Danny Schnitzlein, Anca Sandu (Illustrator)

Gnu and Shrew match wits while trying to reach a cave filled with diamonds in this STEM-filled twist on "The Ant and the Grasshopper."

When Gnu says that there's a cave filled with diamonds across the river, Shrew is intrigued. But Gnu seems to be all talk, fantasizing about riches yet dismissing all of Shrew’s suggestions.

As Gnu dreams his days away, tossing out one big idea after another, Shrew spends his nights trying to make those dreams a reality. Will Gnu’s big ideas ever be able to mesh with Shrew's hard work to make something remarkable happen?

Author Danny Schnitzlein uses deadpan storytelling to put an entertaining spin on "The Ant and the Grasshopper" that values the roles of both dreamers and doers. Anca Sandu's illustrations, rendered in pencil and colored digitally, add to the humor and whimsy.

"A refreshing demonstration of different approaches and a friendship that transcends those contrasts." —Booklist
Best STEM Books —ASEE / ITEEA / NSTA / SEPA / CBC

Also by Danny Schnitzlein:
Monster Who Ate My Peas
The Monster Who Did My Math
Trick or Treat on Monster Street

Genres: Picture Books, Friendship, Animals, Fiction, Adventure, Childrens, Transport

39 pages, Kindle Edition

Published October 6, 2020

About the author

Author, Danny Schnitzlein, has been crazy about monsters since he was four years old. Some say he never grew up. His book, The Monster Who Ate My Peas, won state awards in Indiana and Virginia and was adapted into a touring musical and a ballet. The Monster Who Did My Math, was named “A Book All Young Georgians Should Read” by the Georgia Center for the Book. Danny’s books have been featured in the Georgia Department of Education’s “Read More” initiative, the Atlanta Mayor’s Reading Club, and The Atlanta Falcons’ “Read With a Falcon” program. His gnu-est book, Gnu and Shrew, was named a Best STEM Book of 2021. Danny also writes scripts and songs for children’s educational television. He lives in Marietta, GA with his family and a dog with snuggly superpowers.

Reviews

[Olivia · Rating 3 out of 5]

See my full review here: https://www.yabookscentral.com/kidsfi...

GNU AND SHREW tells the story of two friends who see each other at the river everyday. One day, Gnu tells Shrew that he has heard there are diamonds in a cave on the other side of the river. They start to dream of the diamonds, but the river is dangerous - deep and filled with crocodiles. Shrew begins to make a plan. As they spend time thinking about it, Shrew's plan grows to develop a boat. One day, it is time for him to go across, but Gnu does not want to join him. Shrew goes, finds the diamonds, and again invites Gnu to travel the world with him. Gnu declines, and Shrew sets off on his own. Eventually, many years later, he returns, and Gnu tells him about the mountain he has heard that has emeralds at the top.

What I loved: The illustrations were quite interesting, and I loved the use of color. Much of the images is yellow, which adds a bright and intriguing dynamic to them. The animals are cute, and their personalities shine through each page.

What left me wanting more: The story is very lengthy, and it felt like there was intended to be some morals in there, but they did not quite come across. Was it supposed to be about people who dream vs those that take action? In the end, Shrew has left his family behind to come dream again with Gnu, so it was not clear if that was it. Gnu also does not seem unhappy to have stayed behind and dreamed. It is unclear if it is also about friendship, because Gnu is not a very good friend to Shrew, putting him down about his size and ability and yet, Shrew still comes back for him and wants to spend time with him. The book felt like it should have had a moral to it, but the themes were not entirely clear.

Final verdict: GNU AND SHREW is an intriguing read that features two unusual friends who set out to capture gemstones. Unique illustrations make this an interesting picture book to look through.

Please note that I received a review copy. All opinions are my own.

[Barbara · Rating 3 out of 5]

It's fun to read this picture book and contemplate whether one is Gnu or Shrew. The two friends enjoy hanging out by the river and dreaming of the riches to be found on the other side. Shrew suggests that they work together to accomplish this goal, but Gnu disparages his offer. While Gnu goes home to dream off what he's going to do, Shrew returns home and gets busy planning. It's clear that like the classic Grasshopper and Ant from the fable, one animal is willing to work hard while the other one prefers to dream. Since the illustrations show one animal taking it easy while the other one is working hard to try different ideas that could help those dreams come true, readers will have no problem understanding the point of the story. Even when Shrew has completed a vessel that might enable the two friends to venture forth, Gnu is reluctant and doubts that his friend could succeed. In the end Shrew has the last laugh since he does find riches and contentment while Gnu is still dreaming and not taking any action. The story brings to mind Thoreau's reminder that dreaming of castles in the air isn't enough. The dreamer must take action and develop plans to help those dreams come to fruition. I wonder how often Gnu kicked himself for not believing in his friend and daring to take a risk or two. The text is accompanied by illustrations rendered in pencil and then digitally colored.

[Ashley · Rating 3 out of 5]

I liked this book, though I do have some mixed feelings about the ending. I thought that Shrew took a lot of ideas from Gnu, and although I like the lesson of actually doing something instead of complaining that a solution might not be perfect, I thought Shrew was a bit of a jerk for not being upfront and giving Gnu a fair share of the diamonds. Offering to pay Gnu's way on a holiday is not the same thing as paying someone their fair share. I had wondered if the lesson would be that everyone has something to contribute--dreamers and doers--but it leaned heavily on doers being more deserving. Which can be a great story to tell some kids who are reticent to act and like to complain. I just always think something more is going on there. Maybe Gnu has anxiety. Maybe Shrew stole the ideas of his depressed friend and got out of the guilt by muttering something about bootstraps.

In any case, it's an entertaining story and I think it could prompt some interesting conversations so overall it's a win.

[Heidi · Rating 4 out of 5]

Gnu wants to cross the river and retrieve the diamonds he knows are in a cave. But while he keeps dreaming of all the things he'll do with the diamonds after he retrieves them, he doesn't actually do anything. Shrew on the other hand is inspired to act by Gnu's ideas and he sets out to build a boat to cross the river. Ironically, once Shrew is ready to cross the river, Gnu doesn't think Shrew could be successful and refuses to go with him. Shrew successfully crosses the river and sets out to achieve the dreams that Gnu talked about while Gnu stays home waiting for Shrew's postcards. When Shrew comes back for a visit, is Gnu finally ready to pursue his dreams or will he watch Shrew from afar? This is an interesting tale of dreams vs. hard work and the value of both in accomplishing remarkable things. But another underlying theme revolves around friendship and trust. Gnu simply doesn't believe in Shrew's abilities at first, he's too busy dreaming to think about actually achieving those dreams. A thought-provoking book with some great themes.

[Kristi · Rating 2 out of 5]

My first impression is that I had to look up how to pronounce "Gnu" (it's similar to 'new'). I wish there was something in the beginning of the book or even the end that had a pronunciation guide or even a bit of information about gnus & shrews since they're rarely (if at all) featured in picture books. The story itself definitely plays on "The Ant and the Grasshopper" tale, so it can be a good comparison to that Aesop's Fable (which also could have been an additional note somewhere for extended learning). Thank you to Peachtree Publishing Company for providing me a free copy of this book in exchange of an honest review.

[Nichole · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was given an arc by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

I would like to pair this book with Little Red Hen and Frederick. All interesting takes on work ethic. I like that there's no judgement here between gnu and shrew. They are different types of thinkers and different types of workers, but they cooperate and are friends and they forgive each other their differences. I really like the idea of using these three books to contrast different work ethics instead of showing just one.

[Sherry Ellis · Rating 5 out of 5]

Gnu and Shrew are good friends, but they are as opposite as opposite gets. Big Gnu has big dreams. Little Shrew, well, he has big brains and a big industrious streak. So while Gnu dreams, Shrew does.

Gnu and Shrew is a delightful story told with humor. The artwork by illustrator, Anca Sandu is well-done and compliments the text nicely. Young readers will enjoy the characters of Gnu and Shrew and will learn that things happen because of ideas and actions. Highly recommended for children ages 3-7.

[Erin Buhr · Rating 4 out of 5]

Some people are dreamers, some people are doers. I'm not sure what the intended message of this book was but it certainly made me want to get up off the couch and go make things happen. Little Shrew is illustrated in the most darling way and his spunky, inventive attitude is inspiring. I liked how this book talked about tweaking inventions most of all.

[A. · Rating 3 out of 5]

A fun riff on the Ant and the Grasshopper with a STEM-minded, proactive Shrew who isn't going to just sit around and daydream about treasures but goes after them. Loved the proactive tinkering and the way Shrew drew inspiration from everyday sources.

[Rebecca Anne · Rating 2 out of 5]

Gnu likes to talk about what he's going to do, while Shrew prefers to make a plan and do what he wants to do. Gnu doesn't believe that Shrew can do what Shrew plans to do. One day, Gnu sees that Shrew is very brave despite being so small, and they finally set off to discover their dreams together.

[Jessica · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars. I really liked the artwork and color scheme of this book. Gnu has a plan to get diamonds and buy stuff for himself and shrew. But true is the hard-working one. I felt bad for gnu even if he was lazy.

[Edward Sullivan · Rating 3 out of 5]

Gnu is the dreamer and Shrew is the worker in this tale of a yin yang friendship.

[Serina · Rating 1 out of 5]

Not super into this one. Lazy vs industrious.

[Alice · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 stars for this one

[Y.Poston]

Beautiful tale of under estimating friend's ideas

[Kim · Rating 5 out of 5]

Big Gnu has a big imagination, but a small capacity for work. His best friend Shrew is little but has big ambitions. Gnu gives Shrew ideas about how to get across the crocodile-infested river to the cave full of diamonds. Shrew wants Gnu to help, but Gnu is too busy making sure he doesn't get too busy.

With fun,

[Baby Bookworm · Rating 3 out of 5]

This review was originally written for The Baby Bookworm. Visit us for new picture books reviews daily!

Hello, friends! Our book today is Gnu and Shrew, written by Danny Schnitzlein and illustrated by Anca Sandu, a tale of ingenuity and perseverance.

As pals Gnu and Shrew rest beside a wide, crocodile-infested river, Gnu relates a tale he has heard – that in a cave on the opposite bank, there hides a wealth of diamonds. Gnu decides that he will find a way to cross the dangerous river and procure the diamonds, and then he and Shrew can reap the rewards of newfound wealth. However, Gnu’s attempts are half-hearted at best: he begins to dig a tunnel, but either he is too tired, or the weather is too rainy, or he is too busy with other distractions to finish it. Shrew, however, is busy industriously building a sturdy boat to brave the waters, using his friend’s musings on how to spend their wealth as inspiration (and ignoring Gnu’s repeated insistence that Shrew is too small and weak to accomplish anything on his own). Which of the friends will make their way to the diamonds first?

An interesting twist on a classic parable. Much like Aesop’s “The Ant and The Grasshopper”, the resolution of the tale shows that Gnu’s lack of follow-though and preoccupation with dreams over action is ultimately fruitless, while the inventive and ingenious Shrew’s efforts net him both the riches and and a happily-ever-after. Minor differences – such as the character’s enduring (if confusing) friendship and the focus on inspiration and innovation give the story a unique twist. The illustrations are cute, giving the characters – especially Gnu – a great deal of expression and charm. The length is fine for a quick storytime, and JJ enjoyed it. An effective re-telling of a timeless lesson, and it’s Baby Bookworm approved.

(Note: A copy of this book was provided to The Baby Bookworm by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.)

Be sure to check out The Baby Bookworm for more reviews!

[Ann · Rating 3 out of 5]

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