“Emily and Albert” by author Jan Ormerod is one of those wonderful books that’s fun for kids and also enjoyable for adults. In this particular case, the enjoyment is twofold: the writing and stories contained in this book are subtly funny; the kids will love the surface silliness, and the grown-ups will recognize a sophisticated slant to the tales — they’re told in a sly, knowing fashion that’s fun to read.
Additionally, illustrator David Slonim’s art style is entirely reminiscent of the fantastic rendering of the great Bill Watterson, of Calvin and Hobbes fame. The loose, variable-width lines offer a lovely casual, organic feel to everything, and really imbues the characters with extra personality. Children’s books have really gone through a kind of renaissance in the past few years — the illustrations are richer, the stories more adult-friendly, and the actual physical publications are finer. “Emily and Albert” is a prime example of this.
The book itself contains five stories: “Noses”, “Hiccups”, “Dancing”, “Feeling Better”, and “A Good Book”. Each of them is self-contained, and they very clearly delineate the personalities of Emily, a fun-loving, slightly hyperactive ostrich, and Albert, a sedate, somewhat Zen-like elephant. The two of them have a great chemistry, and though the stories aren’t necessarily built to deliver lessons, there is a low-level sort of teaching going on for parents looking for them.
As far as I know, this is the only volume of Emily and Albert stories, but I’d love to see more of them!
Comments
Julianne
May 26th, 2009 - 5:12:55 PM
I've seen this book featured at a nearby book store (Borders maybe?), but didn't know anything about it or whether or not it was good. Glad to hear it is indeed good. Might have to pick it up next time I come across it.
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