The Snatchabook
Common Sense says
age 3+
Sweet story of books and forgiveness great for bedtime.
Parents say
Kids say
Get it now
Searching for streaming and purchasing options ...
Common Sense is a nonprofit organization. Your purchase helps us remain independent and ad-free.
Get it now on
Searching for streaming and purchasing options ...
Did this review miss something on diversity?
Research shows a connection between kids' healthy self-esteem and positive, diverse representations in books, TV shows, and movies. Want to help us help them? Suggest a diversity update
Suggest an update The Snatchabook
A lot or a little?
The parents' guide to what's in this book.
Educational Value
Positive Role Models & Representations
Violence & Scariness
Language
What parents need to know
Parents need to know that The Snatchabook is a cozy picture book perfect for reading aloud at bedtime. The nighttime mystery is suspenseful without being scary. The book thief's victims hold him accountable for his misdeeds, then offer him forgiveness and friendship.
Stay up to date on new reviews.
Get full reviews, ratings, and advice delivered weekly to your inbox.
Subscribe
User Reviews
- Parents say
- Kids say
There aren't any reviews yet. Be the first to review this title.
There aren't any reviews yet. Be the first to review this title.
What's the story?
Books are mysteriously flying out the windows at bedtime in Burrow Down. Eliza Brown, a brave young rabbit, sets out to solve the mystery. She sets up a towering pile of books as bait and catches a sad little creature: a Snatchabook, who's making off with the children's books because he has no one to read to him. With Eliza's encouragement, he returns all the books to their rightful owners. From then on, he joins the families in Burrow Down at bedtime to hear the stories read aloud.
\
Is it any good?
Charming illustrations make THE SNATCHABOOK a bedtime story to treasure. The bouncing, rhyming text by Helen Docherty carries the story along, and the warm illustrations by her husband, Thomas Docherty, bring it to life. What could be more unsettling than having a book spirited away at the very moment children feel safest? The light suspense of the opening pages is banished once the adorable, big-eyed Snatchabook gets his first closeup.
The tale celebrates the cherished family tradition of snuggling together for bedtime stories. It also reassures children that even well-intentioned people make mistakes -- and, more important, that wrongs can be made right. Instead of making the Snatchabook an outcast, the critters in Burrows Down welcome him into their homes and to their families, inviting him to share the warmth of bedtime stories.
Talk to your kids about ...
- Families can talk about how Eliza resolves the situation. What might have happened if she didn't find the thief and offer him friendship?
- How do the illustrations -- particularly the two-page spread showing the animals talking about the thievery -- show the trouble with rumors?
- The Snatchabook behaved badly because he felt left out and didn't know what else to do. Have you ever made a poor choice because you were lonely?
Book details
- Author: Helen Docherty
- Illustrator: Thomas Docherty
- Genre: Picture Book
- Topics: Friendship, Misfits and Underdogs
- Book type: Fiction
- Publisher: Sourcebooks Jabberwocky
- Publication date: October 1, 2013
- Publisher's recommended age(s): 3 - 6
- Number of pages: 32
- Available on: Hardback
- Last updated: July 13, 2017
Our editors recommend
For kids who love books
Themes & Topics
Top advice and articles
Common Sense Media's unbiased ratings are created by expert reviewers and aren't influenced by the product's creators or by any of our funders, affiliates, or partners.