Where is Shnuffy?

What happens when a book loses its imaginary friend?... You help catch it, of course!

This book is upset. The moment you open it, its beloved Shnuffy always manages to escape. Luckily, it has a few tricks up its crease to help you get Shnuffy back inside. From looking on your shoulder to shouting out its name, you will love the imaginary game of hide and seek and want to let Shnuffy out of the book again and again

Warning! Most of the pictures are all in your head.

One of the remarkable things about Where is Shnuffy, is that it uses the power of imagination to describe not only what Shnuffy looks like, but also where he is. The suspense is created through text, not detailed illustrations. Shnuffy’s appearance is described only through adjectives, adverbs, and the use of indexical signs. This is what makes this book such a fun read aloud.

Draw Your Own Ending Series

By the end of the book, most children should have a picture in their heads as to what Shnuffy looks like. This is why as part of the Draw Your Own Ending Series, children are asked to draw their vision of Shnuffy on the last page in the Wanted poster. For teachers, lesson plans are currently being developed. Are you ready to find Shnuffy?

Why create a book without showing the main character?

You may be wondering why an illustrator would write a book with few pictures. Well. That is a good question. Illustrations are meant to enhance a text, to add more to a story that the text does not. Illustrations can show the setting, the weather, an emotion, or even suspense that is not given in a text. However, often illustrations are used where they are not necessary. This is especially true in situations where the imagination is better. An illustration of a character looking into a box with an expression of surprise is much more interesting than an illustration which shows what is in the box because it requires the reader to think first about what they think may actually be in the box. Adding more illustration to Where is Shnuffy? would only make the text less exciting and decrease suspense.

What DOES Shnuffy look like?

I visited my son’s school and decided to test out Where is Shnuffy. I had to translate everything to German as I live in Germany but this book translates great. I had so much fun! I love this book as it is so interactive. I then asked children to draw how they thought Shnuffy looked. Here are some of the ideas that children sent me:

Coming in 2024!

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