Review - Albert

Albert
by Donna Jo Napoli
illustrated by Jim LaMarche
Date: 2001
Publisher: HMH Books for Young Readers
Reading level: C
Book type: picture book
Pages: 32
Format: hardcover
Source: library

You never know what a day will bring.

The morning begins like any other. Albert reaches out the window to check the weather. But from the moment a twig lands smack in the palm of his hand, life is never the same. In her first picture book, Donna Jo Napoli invents a magical and inspiring tale that will capture the heart of any reader who has loved a pet. Jim LaMarche creates an endearing character in Albert and a classic setting for the miraculous new world that unfolds around him.

(synopsis from Goodreads)

This beautifully illustrated book tells the story of a young man named Albert who, every day, sticks his hand outside to check the weather. Based on the sounds he hears, he decides whether or not to venture out. It sounds like he mostly stays indoors.

One day, during one of these weather checks, he's surprised by a pair of cardinals who build a nest in his hand and lay their eggs! He can't pull his hand back in without disturbing the nest, so he ends up standing there... for weeks! (This is the only part of the book I really have a problem with. How did poor Albert go to the bathroom?) Eventually, the father bird even starts to feed Albert as one of his own. Albert keeps the nest safe and waits patiently for the eggs to hatch. And once they do, he's got one more little job to do, helping one of his new friends spread its wings...

The illustrations are really lovely. The passage of time is shown as Albert's facial hair gets scruffier. The choice to draw him as a young man is interesting; given the subject matter and the text, he could very well have been ancient. The soft colours and lovely details make each page a feast for the eyes.

I'd heard of Donna Jo Napoli (and may even have read one of her novels years ago), but I'd never read one of her picture books. I've seen some of Jim LaMarche's work before, though, and I think this book has made me even more of a fan.

Premise: 4/5
Meter: n/a
Writing: 4/5
Illustrations: 4/5
Originality: 4/5

Enjoyment: 5/5

Overall: 4.33 out of 5

Review - Fish Girl

Fish Girl
by Donna Jo Napoli & David Wiesner
illustrated by David Wiesner
Date: 2017
Publisher: Clarion Books
Reading level: MG
Book type: graphic novel
Pages: 186
Format: e-book
Source: library

Who is Fish Girl?
What is Fish Girl?

She lives in a tank in a boardwalk aquarium. She is the main attraction, though visitors never get more than a glimpse of her.

She has a tail. She can't walk. She can't speak.

But she can make friends with Livia, an ordinary girl, and yearn for a life that includes yoga and pizza. She can grow stronger and braver. With determination, a touch of magic, and the help of a loyal octopus, she can do anything.

(synopsis from Goodreads)

This is a nicely illustrated graphic novel with a sort of fairy tale flair. At first glance, one might think that The Little Mermaid would be the obvious tie-in. But I actually saw more similarities with Disney's Tangled, a "Rapunzel" story. Poor Fish Girl (she doesn't even have a proper name at the beginning of the story) has a bad case of Stockholm Syndrome. She's kept in a fanciful aquarium on a boardwalk in an old house that's been converted to display all sorts of marine life. Neptune is her protector... at least at first. But as Fish Girl starts to understand the outside world, she starts to wonder if her protector is really that... or if he's her captor.

The illustrations were really quite lovely, especially when it came to Fish Girl herself. She's realistically drawn and quite pretty, and though she spends much of the book technically naked, she's always strategically covered by her fish friends (making this book completely suitable for younger readers). I liked the whole idea of the house converted into an aquarium; the way it was displayed on the pages was well done. Fish Girl's discovery of the outside world, including things like pizza and yoga, was touching. I really felt for her, and I wanted her to do well as she explored a new side of her life. Despite being naive, she was actually pretty smart... which is refreshing in a world of so many clueless heroines. I was, however, a little confused for the first few pages as I tried to figure out who was telling the story. I'm not sure if that was intentional or not, but I found it a little frustrating. Once I figured it out, though, it was smooth sailing for the rest of the book.

The plot is a little on the light side, and you do have to suspend disbelief a little to go with the events at the climax (I mean, even more than believing mermaids really exist). But, overall, this is a cute, quick read that would probably appeal to fans of graphic novels as well as fairy tales.

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

Enjoyment: 4/5

Overall Rating: 3.75 out of 5 ladybugs