(3) K-3 Illustrated by Wynne Evans. Worried that he doesn't talk yet, Albie's (a character inspired by Albert Einstein's childhood) parents try many outings--symphony visits, boat races, astronomy lectures--to encourage speech, with little success. The claymation-esque oil illustrations and child-friendly narrative focus evoke the historical place and time while offering a playful complement to the book's incisive but reassuring exploration of the anxieties of falling behind. Glos.

Reviewer: Claire E. Gross