Albie the Lifeguard - Hardcover

Borden, Louise

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0590445855 ISBN 13: 9780590445856

Publisher: Scholastic, 1993

Synopsis

During the summer Albie learns to swim the whole length of the pool without stopping

About this title

From Publishers Weekly

When the town pool opens for the summer, Albie's exuberant friends sign up for the Dolphin swim team. But "Albie looked at the lap lanes, long and blue"; discouraged because he can't swim the length of the pool without stopping, he confines himself to his big-splash "cannonballs," underwater tea parties and diving for pennies. After all, "Albie knew how to have a good time at the town pool." But an unconscious ambition sifts its way through his imagination: inspired by the lifeguard, Albie assumes make-believe authority at his backyard wading pool. Text and illustration join in amusing counterpoint as Albie's heroic rescues and serious duties are narrated alongside depictions of the actual events (e.g., Borden reports Albie's rescue of a grandmother with a leg cramp; the spread shows Albie putting a life ring around a dog's neck). Sayles's ( Nettie's Gift ) watercolors have a dreamlike quality--as if viewed through stage scrim--softening the impact of Albie's perceived shortcomings. Indeed, the seemingly aimless fantasies strengthen Albie's self-respect until he, too, takes his place as a Dolphin. A winning tale that indirectly and elegantly demonstrates the psyche's inventiveness. Ages 4-8.
Copyright 1993 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From School Library Journal

Kindergarten-Grade 2-- When all of his friends sign up for the Dolphin swim team, Albie puts on his sister's sunglasses, mounts a tall stool near his own backyard wading pool, and goes on lifeguard duty there. Later that summer, the town pool's lap lanes look less imposing to him, so he joins his buddies on the team. Borden pays tribute to the natural ability of a child to recognize and respect his own timetable and abilities. Young readers will feel understood and validated by this aspect of the book. Sayles's pastels suggest the power and unity of the fantasy that prepares Albie to meet his challenge when he is ready. Unfortunately, Borden delivers her story at an uneven pace, at times focused and beautiful, at times choppy and ineffective. After Albie's acceptance as a swim team member, she tacks on a quick gratuitous portrait of his daily arrival for practice. It dangles, disturbing the otherwise satisfying resolution. --Liza Bliss, Worcester Public Library, Salem Square, MA
Copyright 1993 Reed Business Information, Inc.

About this edition

• Publisher: Scholastic
• Publication date: 1993
• ISBN 10: 0590445855
• ISBN 13: 9780590445856
• Binding: Hardcover
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 1
• Illustrator: Sayles Elizabeth