Review - Albert's Quiet Quest

Albert's Quiet Quest
by Isabelle Arsenault
Date: 2019
Publisher: Tundra Books (NY)
Reading level: C
Book type: graphic novel
Pages: 48
Format: e-book
Source: NetGalley

Albert just wants to read his book in peace . . . why won't his friends give him some quiet? A delightful picture book about finding alone time from an internationally acclaimed illustrator.

There are so many distractions in Albert's Mile End neighborhood, what's a book-loving introvert to do? Desperate for a quiet place to read, Albert storms out to the alley behind his house where his friends and neighbors often meet to play. Lucky him -- not only is no one around today, but he finds an old painting of a beach scene that someone's left for the trash. The painting sparks Albert's imagination, spurring him on a zen-like quest for a quiet reading break on a sunset beach, a moment to unplug and find peace. And he almost does too, except for those meddling Mile End kids . . . who just want to have some fun, as LOUDLY as possible. Will Albert ever find a moment of quiet to enjoy his book? Or could his friends be looking for a book break of their own?

Readers will love this adorably relatable story of a quiet kid, his big imagination and bringing friends together through the magic of reading.

(synopsis from Goodreads)

Sometimes peace and quiet can be elusive. That's what Albert discovers when he goes out to the alley to read his book. Actually, he's just sitting there, daydreaming about reading on a beach. But as each of his friends comes along and starts to do their own activities, even his imagination starts to get cluttered and really, really noisy. Finally, he can't take it anymore and he snaps at his friends, driving them all away... or so he thinks.

Albert's frustration is something a lot of people will probably be able to relate to. His reaction toward his friends is not his finest hour, but to his credit, he does try to apologize. His friends obviously forgive him, and everything is all good.

This might technically be a picture book, but the format is really more of a graphic novel. The illustrations are divided into panels, there's onomatopoeia everywhere, and all the speech is in balloons. So, really, it's a graphic novel for kids. But that doesn't make it any less enjoyable. The illustrations, done in a limited colour palette of black and white, orange, and turquoise, are quite cute. I've encountered Arsenault's work before in the adorable Spork. These illustrations are just as charming and help to tell the story of a little boy who just wants some silence.

I'd recommend this to anyone who's ever wanted to retreat into their imagination (or a good book) and enjoy some peace and quiet.

Thank you to NetGalley and Tundra Books (NY) for providing a digital ARC.

Plot: 3/5
Characters: 3/5
Pace: 3/5
Writing & Editing: 3/5
Illustration: 4/5
Originality: 4/5

Enjoyment: 4/5

Overall: 3.5 out of 5