Starred review from February 1, 2023
PreS-Gr 3-With spare storytelling that allows readers' imaginations to run as wild as the protagonist's, Hillenbrand offers the story of a mouse who braves a storm. Hubert Cumberbun is a mouse who loves spending time at the branch library-the library is in a tree-and good stories. When a snowstorm blows in, the library closes early, and everyone must leave. Hubert has a choice, to head home the long way or to take the shortcut. The storm is so fierce that even though the shortcut is scary, he decides to chance it. As he stumbles through the rapidly worsening blizzard, he smells mothballs just before hearing a voice ask, "Are you going this way?" A mysterious woman appears, offers her hand and the two forge on together through the Hollow. The path takes them over a fallen tree bridge, past hillsides of sleeping bear shapes and a spider tree trunk. Hillenbrand's snowy landscape is beautifully illustrated and reveals objects with watchful eyes, trees with faces and grasping limbs and roots, while the howling of the wind appears to come from the throat of a bear. A detailed pencil-drawn map of the area shows the long and short way from the library to Hubert's home, which is through a hole in the barbershop. Cold, snowy pictures show snippets of warmth: the library's lights, the streetlamps at start and finish of the shortcut, and Hubert's warm, comfortable home with crackling fireplace and a loving family who are anticipating the story of his curious adventure. VERDICT There's not a word out of place in this blustery adventure, a masterful collaboration of illustration and text; this cozy winter tale with its striking pictures may appear to be cold but is quite the opposite.-Maryann H. Owen
Copyright 2023 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.
Starred review from August 14, 2023
When a blizzard forces an early closing of his beloved “branch” library (it’s housed in a tree), young mouse protagonist Hubert Cumberbun, who believes “a good story was everything,” takes a shortcut home through the forbidding Hollow. Just as Hubert realizes that he’s a very small rodent in a vast, snow-covered landscape, an adult mouse appears, dressed in a pink coat and smelling of mothballs. “Are you going this way?” she asks, and, taking Hubert’s hand, she calmly leads him down the treacherous path. Hillebrand (I’m a Duck) draws the Hollow as a place of swirling wind, bleached colors, and craggy shapes that seem spine-chillingly alive. In a sumptuous series of pages that includes a gatefold, a mountain becomes a huge bear that rears its head and roars at the tiny, fleeing duo. When the two finally reach a streetlight—a sign that home is within easy reach—the woman bids Hubert adieu, “But when he looked back, all he could see were footprints—his.” In a yarn that’s simultaneously frightening and reassuring, Hillenbrand renders the daring thrill of an adventure taken and hints at the way that great
stories tend to involve an element of risk. Ages 4–8. Agent: Brenda Bowen, Book Group.
Starred review from November 1, 2022
A bibliophile has a strange encounter. For Hubert Cumberbun, a tiny brown mouse, "a good story was everything. He practically lived at the branch library," in this case a far-reaching tree (and a great visual pun). When the library closes early due to a blizzard, Hubert decides to take a shortcut through the Hollow, a spooky section of the woods. (Readers can see just how spooky thanks to Hubert's hand-drawn map on the dedication page.) As Hubert is pondering this difficult choice, the scent of mothballs brings help in the form of a stranger, a brown-furred female rodent wrapped in shades of cherry pink and purple. The stranger asks if Hubert is going through the Hollow and silently guides him past trees that resemble large insects and over hills that look like bears. When they reach the edge of town, the stranger asks if Hubert can continue alone. When he consents, she vanishes--leaving not even a footprint behind. Hubert returns home with a new story to share with his parents and many siblings. The story is Hillenbrand at his best--a slow-building ghost story cleverly disguised as a winter book, menace defused masterfully under layers of snow. Hillenbrand's snowy landscapes are sumptuous, at times cozy, at times ominous. The surprise of the stranger will shock many first-time readers, making for a memorable tale that will enchant little ones and storytellers alike. (This book was reviewed digitally.) A ghost story you'll love to share! (Picture book. 5-8)
COPYRIGHT(2022) Kirkus Reviews, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.
September 1, 2023
When a blizzard forces the branch library (appropriately operating out of a tree) to close early, a little story-loving mouse named Hubert opts to "take a shortcut home through the hollow...even though it was spooky." The soft art uses line and color to convey mood and atmosphere. Hubert looks especially small and powerless, standing at the wooded entrance to the hollow as the storm blusters around him. The snowdrifts are deep, and the dark trees appear to have contorted faces. And then, a stranger -- taller, sleeker, with a bushy tail peeking out of the bottom of her long pink coat -- steps out from behind a tree and offers her hand to Hubert. Spare text tracks their progress through the hollow, while the illustrations tell a more dramatic story. Faces leer at them, Hubert nearly slips into a chasm, and the landscape itself begins to look like a family of giant, sleepy bears. A wordless double gatefold primarily in black and white provides scale and brings the bears, now wide awake, to life -- and the biggest one looks irritated. Once Hubert and his protector reach safety, they part ways; but when the mouse looks back, he only sees one set of footprints. Like Hubert, readers can make the tale their own and decide what really happened on that strange and precarious trip. A map in the front of the book shows Hubert's path, along with some fantastical details from this story (and perhaps others). Julie Roach
(Copyright 2023 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)
Starred review from September 1, 2023
Preschool-Grade 3 *Starred Review* Hubert, a little mouse who loves reading, walks to the library during a blizzard, only to find that it has closed early. Cold and anxious, he decides to take a shortcut home, through the spooky Hollow. There, a mysterious woman offers to walk with him. He gratefully takes her hand. Together they cross the narrow, single-log bridge over a deep chasm and avoid a sharp-toothed monster. As enormous bears awaken, Hubert and the woman run out of the Hollow to safety. He turns to thank her, but she has disappeared, eerily leaving no footprints in the snow. Disturbed by his adventure, Hubert returns home, relieved to join his family and tell his story. Putting his own stamp on a widespread, ghostly folktale motif, Willenbrand creates a picture book that hits the sweet spot between kids' heartfelt pleas to hear scary stories and their equally strong desire not to become truly scared. Even for those momentarily frightened, the concluding illustration of the mouse family's cozy living room is instantly reassuring. Its warm colors and happy inhabitants contrast strongly with early images of the Hollow, where creatures lurk amid a bleak, snowy landscape in white, black, and shades of gray. A beautifully crafted picture book, illustrated with finesse.
COPYRIGHT(2023) Booklist, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.
January 1, 2024
When a blizzard forces the branch library (appropriately operating out of a tree) to close early, a little story-loving mouse named Hubert opts to "take a shortcut home through the hollow...even though it was spooky." The soft art uses line and color to convey mood and atmosphere. Hubert looks especially small and powerless, standing at the wooded entrance to the hollow as the storm blusters around him. The snow drifts are deep, and the dark trees appear to have contorted faces. And then, a stranger -- taller, sleeker, with a bushy tail peeking out of the bottom of her long pink coat -- steps out from behind a tree and offers her hand to Hubert. Spare text tracks their progress through the hollow, while the illustrations tell a more dramatic story. Faces leer at them, Hubert nearly slips into a chasm, and the landscape itself begins to look like a family of giant, sleepy bears. A wordless double gatefold primarily in black and white provides scale and brings the bears, now wide awake, to life -- and the biggest one looks irritated. Once Hubert and his protector reach safety, they part ways; but when the mouse looks back, he only sees one set of footprints. Like Hubert, readers can make the tale their own and decide what really happened on that strange and precarious trip. A map in the front of the book shows Hubert's path, along with some fantastical details from this story (and perhaps others).
(Copyright 2024 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)