The Horn Book Guide

PICTURE BOOKS

Napoli, Donna Jo

Albert

32 pp. | Harcourt/Silver Whistle | April, 2001 | Trade ISBN 0-15-201572-8 $$16.00

(3) K-3 Illustrated by Jim LaMarche. Albert avoids the unpleasant things in life by staying indoors, until one day at the window, two cardinals build a nest in his outstretched hand. Unwilling to destroy their work, Albert stands holding the nest while the birds lay eggs and the eggs hatch. When the fledglings leave the nest, so does Albert. Light-suffused colored pencil art of the perky cardinals and Albert, a lanky red-haired dreamer, give this parable lots of personality.

Reviewer: Anita L. Burkam