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)