The story is about a group of nomes (like gnomes, but without a g!) who hitch a ride on a truck and find themselves in a department store, where they meet other nomes who have lived all their lives in the store and believe it to be the whole world. Then the store goes out of business and they all have to find a new home.

I've never read any non-Discworld stuff by Pratchett (other than Good Omens), and was kind of meh on the concept of "nomes", but I ended up really enjoying it. ( )

Masklin and his ageing companions living hard on the land think they may be the last Nomes but when they hitch a ride on a lorry they arrive at a vast new world of Nomes living in a department store with food and comforts but who all firmly believe that the entire world IS the store and 'outside' is a myth.
Nomes are tiny creatures who live 'fast'—short lives at the mercy of the gigantic, slow humans. When 'the Thing', a sacred object from long ago, is activated and proves to be a sophisticated computer, Masklin learns that Nomes are descended from space voyagers. Inspired by news of their past abilities, Masklin and others lead the Nomes to a new home when the store is demolished

It's funny. In anyone else's hands this would have felt heavy-handed and obvious, but Pratchett makes it light and funny and enjoyable. Probably best left to the YA set, but a fun read even for a cranky old grup. ( )

This story about nomes was very interesting and different than most nome stories that I have read. There are lots of valuable life lessons wrapped up in this book.

The Bromeliad trilogy is one of my favorite children's series. Pratchett's humour is absolutely one-of-a-kind genius; the characters and situations he describes are so clever and so absurd. I loved the Book of Nome extracts with their satirical take on the Bible (especially the Genesis of the store), and Pratchett's somewhat daring challenge to the narrow-mindedness that sometimes arises from strict adherence to religious principles.

The bits about Prices Slashed and Bargains Galore, the store signs of fate, and how seasonal sales mark the progress of a year were inspired, laugh-out-loud funny.