Alberta the Abominable Snowthing; Trouble for Alberta

Labelled for 'confident readers', both titles describe the exploits of Alberta, an 'abominable snowthing' who is captured and dispatched from the Arctic wastelands of Canada to Melford Zoo in England. However, due to a mix-up with packages and labels, she arrives at the home of Felix Dobson and his Mum. Alberta is not short of determination and ingenuity. Her efforts to compensate for the lack of snow, fish and hugs from her snowthing family, and Felix's efforts to control the resulting havoc, form the core of these stories. They are characterized by great good humour but various implausibilities, such as Alberta's perfect English (learned in the Arctic wastelands from her Aunt Winnipeg), strain at the reader's necessary suspension of disbelief.