Albie's First Word

September 1, 2014
Readers already know the end of the story: little Albie, a late talker, will become one of the greatest geniuses of the 20th century. Tourville’s invented biography of Einstein turns on the idea that while his silence and accomplishments mystify his family (“How did you do that?” they ask, after he constructs a tower of cards), he’s already aware of his own powers. Tourville (Big, Beautiful, and Pregnant) spices the dialogue of her first picture book with German endearments (“Albie, my darling mausi, what did you think?” asks his mother after an orchestra performance), while debut artist Evans paints theatrically lit, sepia-tinted period scenes in which Albie and his family appear as endearing marionettelike figures. In the story’s most sentimental moment, Evans shows Albie’s parents by lamplight, reassuring each other that “they would love him just as he was.” While the book doesn’t illuminate whether something about Einstein’s childhood made him into the towering figure he became, it’s a diverting portrait of the era in which he grew up, and a noteworthy first outing for Evans. Ages 4–8. Author’s agent: Brianne Johnson, Writers House.

Starred review from September 15, 2014
The fact that Albert Einstein uttered his first words later in life than most children inspired this quirky, endearing tribute to the famous scientist and humanitarian. "Albie, as everyone called Albert, liked to do all the things other children did." This sentence floats in white space above an intriguing piece of artwork, nicely framed within an oval shape: In muted tones of amber, a boy clad in 19th-century clothes is leaping over black-and-white tiles and then over a threshold into a just-barely-seen, brighter room. The artwork's subliminal message compels readers to turn the page. Thereafter, the text intersperses its tale of a mute little boy with nuggets of historical and cultural reality describing the lives of the German upper middle class in the late 1800s. There are even some German words. The simple story is told with heart, suspense and gentle humor. The complementary artwork features appropriately detailed backgrounds and beautiful chiaroscuro juxtaposed with an Albie whose body exhibits exaggerated toddler proportions and whose face looks modeled in clay. Readers of all ages will enjoy the wise and witty climax, and older readers will appreciate the endpapers-reproduced from Einstein's "Zurich Notebook"-and the thoughtful author's note. More than a distinctive introduction to Albert Einstein, this book promotes both understanding of difference and scientific curiosity. (glossary, photograph) (Picture book/biography. 4-8)

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December 1, 2014

K-Gr 3-Though he can build an astonishing house of cards and take his father's compass apart and reassemble it, little Albie just won't talk. When his concerned parents consult the doctor, he advises them to expose the tyke to new experiences. A trip to the symphony and an astronomy lecture excite the youngster but fail to inspire speech. Based on Einstein and his sister's actual accounts, this fictionalized version of the three-year-old's delayed speech and much-awaited first word is a surprising and entertaining introduction to the subject. While the endpapers are covered with mathematical formulas, and an author's note offers insight into the physicist's accomplishments, the tale can stand on its own as an amusing picture book as well as offer obvious reassurance for families dealing with speech delays. The oil-glazed illustrations are clever and lively. They capture the boy's spirit and curiosity while clothing and homely furnishings capture the era. Little Albie's exaggerated eyes, ears, and cheekbones give him a somewhat comical appearance reminiscent of Boris Kulikov's characters. Follow this story up with Jennifer Berne's On a Beam of Light (Chronicle, 2013) or Don Brown's Odd Boy Out (Houghton Harcourt, 2004) for science or biography units.-Barbara Auerbach, New York City Public Schools

Copyright 2014 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

October 15, 2014
Grades 2-4 Spun from a remark of Albert Einstein's that he took several years to begin talking, this mostly extrapolated tale takes a silent yet expressive lad through a series of experiences: family outings, concerts, a science lecture, and a model boat race. Despite the best efforts of his loving, worried parents and a wise doctor to elicit some comment or remark, little Albie never says a wordthough he smiles, hums, gesticulates, and takes a lively interest in everything. Evans' accomplished, atmospheric illustrations set apart this variation on a well-known aspect of Einstein's childhood. In warm, softly focused scenes washed with golden light, Evans depicts a bright-eyed, large-headed child with amusingly recognizable features, and places him in a fully and carefully detailed late-nineteenth-century setting. Albie at last gives verbal expression after seeing a shower of falling stars: Why? An extended note introduces Einstein in greater detail and explains that while many of the story's specifics are invented, its core, his parents' fear he might never learn, is true. A reassuring episode for late bloomers, and their parents, too.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2014, American Library Association.)