School Library Journal Review
PreS-Two stories about a mischievous little alligator with a lot of energy and an active imagination. In Hurry Up, Alfie!, he needs to get up and get ready to go to the park, but he has other things on his mind. His mother tries to keep him on track and offers to help, but he says he can do it by himself. His mother patiently continues to urge him to get dressed. Alfie says he's ready when he is in his underwear and holding an umbrella. Although his mother insists Alfie needs his clothes and not an umbrella, he proves her wrong on the final page. In Alfie's Lost Sharkie, he cannot find his toy shark. While Alfie looks high and low for Sharkie, his mother tries to get him ready for bed. Alfie is consumed with trying to find his toy and will go to great lengths, such as climbing a tree, to find it. Throughout the story, Alfie's mother slowly gets him to bathe, put on his pajamas, and listen to a story while he stands on his head. She is there to comfort him and offer advice, and all's well in the end. These are sweet stories that both young children and parents will be able to relate to and enjoy. The illustrations, done in ink and collage, are very interesting. The characters' dialogue is written in different font, which helps to distinguish what each character is saying. The majority of the background is muted to draw attention to the main characters on the page. VERDICT Fun books, but not necessarily first purchases.-Barbara Spiri, Southborough Library, MA © Copyright 2016. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Horn Book Review
Reptilian preschooler Alfie undertakes detour-filled preparations for bedtime (Lost Sharkie) and a playdate (Hurry Up), all under his mother's gentle guidance. While the minimalist, all-dialogue text perfectly encapsulates distractible Alfie and his patient mom, the absence of speech bubbles may make it difficult for young readers to track. Ink and collage illustrations capture Alfie's infectious energy. [Review covers the following titles: Alfie's Lost Sharkie and Hurry Up, Alfie!.] (c) Copyright 2017. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
