Frankie and Albertine
Digital version – browse, print or download
BfK Newsletter
Receive the latest news & reviews direct to your inbox!
Cover Story
This issue’s cover is from a stunning new picture book, Mary’s Secret by David McKee (Andersen Press, 0 86264 909 9, £9.99). An ecological fable about doing without cars, McKee’s story with its bright pictures full of well observed detail is set within Mary’s cheerful family and at her school. His bold, painterly illustrations use the page so confidently and dextrously that their quirky, decorative perspectives seem entirely natural. Thanks to Andersen Press for their help in producing this September cover.
PDF
Printer-friendly version
Send to friend
Frankie and Albertine
When Frankie the pig falls in love with Albertine the hen, he is so overwhelmed that he has to consult the other animals in order to find out how to impress his beloved. In following their advice, Frankie sings like a rooster, dances like a rabbit, dives like a duck and performs feats of strength like a bull, but all to no avail. It is only when despair tempts him into behaving like a pig that he begins to make an impact.
This is a strong and simple love story, with a lightly imposed lesson about being true to yourself, told in 15 boldly painted pages and twice as many clearly printed sentences. Davenier’s farmyard animals are humorously depicted, and the turbid mud-roil which caps the story is a gay rhapsody in brown. This is a good choice for reading aloud, and young children might be encouraged to think abut how Frankie and Albertine’s romance might progress beyond the pages of the book.
