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Summary
Summary
Albert the school carpenter has been assigned a task that seems virtually impossible! He has to build an alphabet for the walking path on the school playground. All twenty-six letters! And by three o'clock! How is he ever going to finish on time? Does he even have enough materials?
Luckily, Albert is one clever carpenter. He not only finishes on time, he builds what could be the most ingenious alphabet ever!
Author Notes
Leslie Tryon is the author of the Albert books and several others for young readers. She is also the illustrator of Alma Flor Ada's Dear Peter Rabbit and With Love, Little Red Hen. She lives in Carmel Valley, California.
Reviews (5)
School Library Journal Review
PreS-Gr 2-- Albert, a goose who is the school carpenter, takes on the challenge of building a kind of alphabet par cours e for the walking path on the playground. His careful attention to detail, his thrifty use of material, and his inventiveness will give older preschoolers lots to admire in each letter. The almost entirely wordless book encourages concentration and sequencing (each page is divided into four smaller drawings, like a comic strip). Aerial views and close-ups require (and reward) attention. Children will enjoy Albert's ingenious solution to the problem of ``Z,'' and those curious about carpentry will derive particular pleasure from the many watercolor and ink drawings.-- Anna Biagioni Hart, Sherwood Regional Library, Alexandria, VA (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Publisher's Weekly Review
When Albert the duck gets a note from the principal asking him to build an alphabet on the school playground (``We must have it by three o'clock''), he is not flustered and sets to work immediately. Plan in wing, resourceful Albert attacks his materials with confidence and vigor. The vignettes depicting the creative ways in which Albert fashions the letters, with the clock ticking in the background, are ingenious in themselves, as are the finished products. Occasional aerial views reveal more of Albert's mechanics and expand the book's excellent spatial qualities. Tryon continues the suspense established with Albert's deadline: after the letter ``N,'' ``Albert used all of his lumber. What will he use now?'' Readers need not fear, since firewood, stovepipes, topiary and even--in a gloriously inventive finale--the workshop itself are employed to the fullest as this diligent duck completes his mission just in time. The challenge inherent in trying to second-guess Albert in his constructive quest makes this a useful tool for preschoolers. Unlike traditionally static alphabet renderings, the activity here is interesting enough to invite many repeat readings. Ages 3-6. (Mar.) (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved
Horn Book Review
Albert Goose, the school carpenter, must construct an alphabet by three o'clock. Not only does the reader see the letters materialize, but Tryon has pictured many of the building techniques used. Some of the letters are fantastical, but the book is a clever approach to visualizing the alphabet. From HORN BOOK 1991, (c) Copyright 2010. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Kirkus Review
Albert the duck, carpenter, is assigned two tasks: building an alphabet and fixing the school's drinking fountain. In his workshop by the school grounds, he has a box of lumber with which he sets earnestly to work, using a variety of techniques for assembling his constructions (they're big enough to climb on) and using every scrap--until he runs out at ""I."" Now he improvises, using the box the lumber was in, rocks and mortar, and even parts of his own house, ultimately making some remarkable improvements to the fountain's plumbing as well as to the house while he's at it. Everything Albert will use appears in a first double spread, while a last one shows the delightful results of his creative efforts. Crisply illustrated, attractively designed with a pleasing variety in the use of frames and perspectives, here's a fascinating book to pore over--and a witty demonstration of the joys of solving the Crusoe-like problem of innovative use of available materials. Copyright ©Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Booklist Review
Ages 3-6. Albert the duck, carpenter for the Pleasant Valley School, is charged by the principal with the building of an entire alphabet for the playground--by 3:00 p.m. After checking the time and his supplies, Albert sets to work, constructing a sculpture of each letter from scraps of wood. When he exhausts his supply of lumber, he substitutes other materials at hand--quarry rocks, firewood, the clothesline frame, and various pipes from his basement. Even the tree behind his house is fair game--it becomes a topiary Y. Albert's masterpiece, however, is Z--created by redesigning his entire house. Tryon's watercolor-and-pen illustrations are rich in hue and detail, yet never appear cluttered. Children (and their parents) will enjoy pondering Albert's various construction techniques and marvel at his ingenuity. Librarians leery of yet another alphabet book can rest assured--this one is worth every penny. ~--Kay Weisman