Albert the Fix-it Man
*Starred Review* Albert’s neighbors call him the “Fix-It Man” because he can repair anything: Auntie Miller’s garden fence, Mr. Jensen’s old green truck, Akiko’s clothesline, Mrs. Peabody’s blue china cup. One morning Albert wakes up with a horrible cold, and when Sam the newspaper carrier learns that the Fix-It Man is under the weather, he calls for help. In a warm, closing spread, Albert enjoys the care and support of the many neighbors that he has helped. 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. For a discussion about kindness and cooperation, link this with Ilene Cooper’s The Golden Rule (2007) or for a more environmentally focused theme, with Simms Taback’s Joseph Had a Little Overcoat (1999). Preschool-Grade 2. --Gillian Engberg