Abba Jacob lives a simple monk’s life in his hermitage on an island. His only companion is his little rat terrier, Snook, and the two of them have settled into a routine of contented daily existence. When the Society for the Preservation of St. Brendan’s Atoll asks Abba Jacob to catalog the plant and animal life on every island in their area, Snook accompanies him. Content to explore each island while Abba Jacob works, Snook is left behind during a storm when Abba Jacob and his guides must leave in a hurry. Alone on the uninhabited island, Snook must survive on his own. He develops his own routine and does fine, but there is always something missing from his life. Marilyn Nelson’s graceful narrative combines with Timothy Basil Ering’s striking acrylic and ink illustrations to provide just the right amount of detail to convey a sense of longing for something once had but then lost—and eventually, joyfully found again. (Ages 7–10)

A faithful little dog must survive on his own in the wild in this evocative tale of loss and reunion from acclaimed poet Marilyn Nelson and the inimitable Timothy Basil Ering.

Abba Jacob is a monk who lives on a far, far away island with his loyal rat terrier, Snook. Every day, from the wee hours of dawn till the sun sets over the sea, Snook keeps Abba Jacob company as he prays or works, tending the gardens or fixing the plumbing of the little hermitage he calls home. But when the two are separated by a ferocious storm, Snook must learn to fend for himself in the wild, all alone in a world of fierceness and wonder. Will he ever again hear the loving voice that he waits for? Simply and lyrically told by award-winning poet Marilyn Nelson and beautifully illustrated by Timothy Basil Ering with wit, warmth, and affection for the natural world, this captivating tale of friendship lost and found conveys the power of faith against all odds.