alysona's review
5.0
Hurray for Nini! It gets a little scary outside, but Nini makes it back home safe and sound. I love how the illustrations change as Nini's world expands. Nice tidy boxes for her cozy home, slightly more open as she ventures into the garden, full and wild when she is in the woods.
jshettel's review
2.0
I wasn't crazy about this story. First of all, was it justme or did Nini the ca seem out of proportion? Maybe this is Lobel's style, but there were parts of the illustrations that seemed child-like to me. The story was ok - housecoat sees an open door and ventures outside which is all fine and well until nightfall. I agree with the other reviews who were turned off by the repeated term of "bad" animals. As in the animals who would love to eat a housecoat for dinner. Not my favorite.
tashrow's review
4.0
This second book about Nini the cat follows the award-winning Nini Here and There that won a Caldecott Honor in 2007. In this book, Nini discovered that the door to the house has been left open and escaped out into the garden. While the house was cozy, the outdoors was also fun. There were grasses, flowers, and an entire woods to explore. But when night falls, the woods became more frightening, darker and filled with noises that could be large animals coming after her. Nini hid under a tree, but realized that she could not just stay there. That’s when she heard voices calling her from the house. With a burst of courage, Nini ran home, through the open door that closed behind her. Back to the familiar things and smells and food. She was very happy to be home and safe, for now.
Lobel’s deep colored illustrations show both the comforts of home and the enticements of the outdoors as equally welcoming. The richness of the autumnal landscape brings a warmth to the outdoors, inviting both Nini and readers to explore. Children will understand Nini’s wish to escape, wander and explore. They will also understand her conflicting desire for safety and warmth. It is a gentle take on the theme of running away from home. When the book turns darker with nightfall, Lobel’s color palette turns to deep blues, blacks and browns. The contrast is distinct and makes for a more chilling moment when Nini is hiding and scared. The contrast is clear and effective.
This simple picture book will be enjoyed by children for many different reasons. Some for the story of a cat, others will see the parallel with children running away, and others will enjoy the adventure at night in the dark. I look for books that can be enjoyed by many types of children for different reasons. This is most certainly one of them. Appropriate for ages 3-5.
Lobel’s deep colored illustrations show both the comforts of home and the enticements of the outdoors as equally welcoming. The richness of the autumnal landscape brings a warmth to the outdoors, inviting both Nini and readers to explore. Children will understand Nini’s wish to escape, wander and explore. They will also understand her conflicting desire for safety and warmth. It is a gentle take on the theme of running away from home. When the book turns darker with nightfall, Lobel’s color palette turns to deep blues, blacks and browns. The contrast is distinct and makes for a more chilling moment when Nini is hiding and scared. The contrast is clear and effective.
This simple picture book will be enjoyed by children for many different reasons. Some for the story of a cat, others will see the parallel with children running away, and others will enjoy the adventure at night in the dark. I look for books that can be enjoyed by many types of children for different reasons. This is most certainly one of them. Appropriate for ages 3-5.
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