Albert the Fix-It Man

by Janet Lord, Julie Paschkis (Illustrator)

Overview

Albert has a tool for every job, and he's never too busy or too tired to fix things for his neighbors.

Albert is always on the lookout for things to fix. If a hinge is rusty, he oils it. If a roof is leaky, he patches it. When Mr. Jensen's old green pickup needs a new motor, Albert hoists up the truck and drops it in. All his neighbors count on Albert to help them.

But one day Albert is too sick to get out of bed. He's dizzy and his bones ache. What will happen when Albert is the one that needs help?

Author Janet Lord's simple story of generosity repaid is complemented by artist Julie Paschkis's colorful, folk-style illustrations. The result is a timeless story that celebrates the importance of helping others and the value of community.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781561458301
Publisher:	Candlewick Press
Publication date:	02/03/2015
Pages:	32
Product dimensions:	8.10(w) x 9.60(h) x 0.20(d)
Lexile:	AD660L (what's this?)
Age Range:	4 - 8 Years

About the Author

Janet Lord earned her BA in graphic arts and advertising from Concord University and now works as a graphic designer. She is the author of three picture books, all illustrated by her sister, artist Julie Paschkis. She lives in Pennsylvania.

Julie Paschkis grew up in Pennsylvania, then attended Cornell University and the School for American Craftsmen at RIT, where she earned a BFA. She taught art to grade-school children for several years while working on her own art and illustration. Julie now works full-time painting, designing textiles, creating commercial illustrations, and illustrating children's books. An award-winning illustrator and author of books for children, she displays her love of pattern and folk art in all of her illustration work. She lives in Seattle, Washington.

Editorial Reviews

"A welcome dose of old-fashioned neighborliness."—School Library Journal

★ "Lord's rhythmic, simple text is perfectly cadenced for reading aloud, while Paschkis' cheerful illustrations, filled with scrolling designs and smiling friends, reinforce the sense of the close, busy community working together."—Booklist, Starred Review

"This is a warmly affecting story of (multicultural) community, greatly enhanced by Paschkis's stylish watercolor illustrations."—Kirkus Reviews

From the Publisher

Folkloric illustrations perk up this sister team's (Here Comes Grandma) otherwise modest tale about the value of community. Decked out in plaid shirt and overalls and sporting a snowy white beard that Santa might envy, Albert fixes Mr. Jensen's truck, fastens Akiko's clothesline and repairs Mrs. Peabody's leaky faucet; no job is too small. When Albert catches cold and takes to his bed, Mr. Jenkins drives the neighbors to Albert's house, where he is served beans from the garden he fenced, mint tea in the cup he mended and an apple pie covered with a cloth from the clothesline. Visual details enhance the story: the characters are of various ages and races; many different kinds of tools are put to use. Animals, including Albert's spotted gray cat, romp freely throughout. Paschkis favors flat shapes filled with decoration, using geometric patterns to adorn curtains, tablecloths and dresses, for example, and presenting plants and foliage as stylized ornaments. Readers will appreciate the warm portrayal of neighbors taking care of one another. Ages 4-8. (Mar.)

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Publishers Weekly

PreS-Gr 1- Life would be sweeter if everyone had a neighbor like Albert. He strolls through the community with his trusty toolbox in hand, alert to all sorts of repair opportunities, from rusty hinges, loose shingles, and fussy motors to leaky faucets and broken crockery. His generosity and skill are much appreciated, so when poor Albert is laid up with a cold, his neighbors waste no time making use of all of the items he's fixed to return the favor. This is a simple story that celebrates the virtue of good neighbors and shared kindnesses, made all the more charming by the folk-inspired illustrations that use cheery colors and bold patterns to convey a sense of warmth and community. Albert himself is a picture of amiability with his fluffy white beard, jaunty red baseball cap, and overalls-just the sort of avuncular man who earns the trust and admiration of those around him. An added delight is the wonderful white-on-black endpapers featuring just about every kind of tool and gadget that might be found in Albert's toolbox. A welcome dose of old-fashioned neighborliness.-Teri Markson, Los Angeles Public Library

School Library Journal

Neighbors band together to help the local helper. Albert is known as the Fix-it Man and, with his flannel shirt and crisp overalls, he certainly looks the part. A smile peeks out of his snowy white beard as he patches Auntie Miller's fence and fixes Mr. Jensen's motor and re-hangs Akiko's frayed clothesline. At night, he dreams about broken bicycles and loose floorboards. When Albert wakes up with a terrible cold, the sad news spreads quickly through the town. In no time at all, the people whom Albert has helped pile into the back of Mr. Jensen's truck and visit the Fix-it Man. They bring nourishment and TLC to his bedside; later Albert drifts off into a recuperative sleep, dreaming of tomorrow's projects. This is a warmly affecting story of (multicultural) community, greatly enhanced by Paschkis's stylish watercolor illustrations. (Picture book. 4-7)

Kirkus Reviews