Big Alfie Out of Doors Storybook

From School Library Journal PreSchool-Grade 2-- Tucked in between apple-green endpapers lie four delightful English town-and-countryside episodes starring, once again, Alfie and his little sister, their parents, grandparents, and a stuffed animal or two. These stories deal with a ``shop'' Alfie constructs from a cardboard box and treasures found in his yard; a camping trip where Alfie and his father encounter a creature with ``a big pink nose'' and ``very large wet nostrils''; a stray sheep that prefers not to be rescued; and a beloved rock named Bonting that's lost on a trip to the seaside. Each page is graced with at least one full-color illustration depicting the impish Alfie and his somewhat scruffy but always warm and caring family. The gentle humor and the well-drawn plots make this book a perfect read-aloud, either for groups or in cozier situations. There are also three nature poems for the child who demands ``Just one more.'' You'll want to order more than one copy of this; it's a treasure. --Eve Larkin, Middleton Public Library, WICopyright 1992 Reed Business Information, Inc.