When readers first meet Nubby, a blue rabbit stuffy, he's the unhappy center of a tug-of-war between two white-presenting kids. A parent restores Nubby to his loving owner, but having been literally stretched to the limit, the rabbit decides he is "done." He soon runs away, relying on a dog to move him about. But freedom--and hopes of friends, fame, and fortune--aren't what he thinks they will be. Real rabbits ignore him, getting pulled out of a hat in a backyard magic show offers only fleeting glamour, and "fortunes can be lost as easily as they can be found." By the time Nubby is retrieved from a dirt pile where the dog has dropped him in favor of a buried bone, Nubby knows where he belongs: "playing with his boy." Messaging from Richards (Once upon a Goat) veers into well-trod Velveteen Rabbit territory ("It had been messy and loud and unruly. But it had also been close, and unspoken, and... real"), but Nubby's reminiscences make the bunny's self-important crankiness both funny and relatable. Digitized watercolor and pencil drawings by McCloskey (Little Red and the Big Bad Editor), a breezy counterpoint to the story's explanatory feel, keep the action moving at a fast clip. Ages 3--7. Author's agent: Ammi-Joan Paquette, Erin Murphy Literary. Illustrator's agent: Erica Rand Silverman, Stimola Literary. (Jan.)

"Nubby was done." Fed up with a life of being "carried, buried, dropped, dragged, torn, worn," and so on, a dingy blue stuffed bunny is ready for a new beginning. While the text stays focused on this character's point of view, the engaging illustrations clearly show what's really happening as Nubby ventures "out into the great wide world." The family dog makes off with him and runs down the sidewalk to the neighbors' yard. There he encounters some actual rabbits ("Friends! Surely he'd be appreciated here!"), but they don't pay him any attention ("His boy would never treat him like that"). Next, a little girl wearing a magician's cape and a top hat spots Nubby on the ground; from his perspective, he's "landed the starring role" in her magic show. But each new adventure is ultimately disappointing (the show's a flop), and Nubby begins to long for his old life. Both text and pictures are energetic and funny, with McCloskey's digital, watercolor, and pencil illustrations showing the neighborhood from varied perspectives, including views of Nubby's family searching the yard for him. A very happy ending has the bunny nestled together with his boy (and pup), each one with a new appreciation for the other. Susan Dove LempkeMarch/April 2023 p.52 (c) Copyright The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

A toy rabbit realizes the value of home. Nubby is a blue stuffed rabbit with a thick black unibrow. Fed up with being "carried, buried, dropped, dragged, torn, worn, chewed on, sat on, and even used as a nose wipe," he sets off into "the great wide world" (aka the cul-de-sac near his home) for a new beginning. Aided (or, rather, carried) by a mischievous dog, he meets some real rabbits, who ignore him. Picked up by an aspiring magician (a child with tan skin and dark hair), he tries his hand (or paw) at fame, and when that doesn't work out, he goes looking for fortune, digging for treasure with his canine pal. Far from home (across the street), he longs for his little boy--who has peach skin and a blond bowl cut--and the love he once had. Luckily, Nubby is able to hitch a ride home and returns to his life of being loved very hard, this time appreciating "being nuzzled, snuggled, cuddled, clutched, bathed, bundled, squeezed, smooched, and utterly adored" in between all the carrying, burying, dropping, dragging, and chewing. Illustrated with simple black lines, the watercolor, pencil, and digital artwork is attractive and laced with humor; Nubby's trials are standard fare for a favorite toy but sweet to see nonetheless. (This book was reviewed digitally.) A gentle acknowledgment that it's a hard life being a hard-loved stuffed animal. (Picture book. 1-5) Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.