Nop is a teddy bear who is ‘not plush in places’. He waits patiently to be bought from Oddmint’s Dumporeum, a magical sort of toy shop, but to no avail. Somehow, he stitches together a balloon that enables him to escape and he sails away, finally finding a friend in a zoo. Nop is a gentle, fantastical story, told simply but with a rich, advanced vocabulary that really suits the rather sophisticated, painterly illustrations. Caroline Magerl has used ink and watercolour to create sensitive pictures with real depth and interesting perspective. She uses colour to reflect the mood of the book and Nop himself—moody blues and browns in the Dumporeum, finishing with an inviting lush green when he lands in the zoo. Watercolour washes and free-flowing ink lines are used to great effect, reminiscent of old-time favourite picture books, such as those by Shirley Hughes.