ALBERT'S ABCS

A day in the life of two siblings.

Albert, a young alligator (or perhaps a crocodile), just wants to play in peace, but as most older siblings understand, that’s easier said than done when there’s a baby in the house. Cole employs just one or two words per page, arranged in alphabetical order throughout the book. Our protagonist happily plays with blocks on one page (“Albert”), while on the facing page baby Baxter wails with increasing intensity (“Baxter”). As Baxter—doing what babies do best—noisily takes up space (“Hungry”), Albert’s annoyance compounds (“Irritated”). A messy meal served by Grandma (“Lunch!”) leads to a rest for Baxter (“Nap”) and a much-needed respite for Albert (“Oh…Peace. Quiet”), but again, as most older siblings understand, those moments are short-lived, and before you know it, the baby chaos starts all over again (“Rises / Races // Stumbles. Scrapes / Tantrum!”). Many children will recognize Albert’s all-too-relatable experiences: Cleaning up all the food that Baxter spilled while eating is particularly aggravating. Albert’s expressive face tells the whole story as the day unfolds. The narrative is a familiar one, but it’s done effectively. The pictures are bright and charming, and the choice to make this tale both a sibling story and an alphabet book is clever; youngsters will enjoy following it through to the end.

The perfect selection to share with a new—and frustrated—big sibling.