Oliver makes friends with Albert, the new boy in class, and they have fun together, playing kickball and collecting bugs. By the creators of Amanda Pig, Schoolgirl.

Reviews

PreSchool-Grade 2-A sweet and simple beginning chapter book about friendship. Albert, a little pig who wears glasses and checkered overalls, is the new boy at school. At recess, he proves that he is not very good at kickball, and some of the children make fun of him. However, a mutual interest in insects helps him to start up a friendship with Oliver. As their relationship develops, the two grow closer, help one another learn new things, experience their first fight, and then make peace. The plot is somewhat predictable, but the story is easy to read and emphasizes the importance of being a good friend. Done in carbon pencil, colored pencils, and watercolor washes, the artwork depicts a cast of pig characters all in the same shade of pink. The pictures spill playfully from their black-lined borders and have an appealing, childlike quality. A good choice for new readers and fans of the other books about Oliver and Amanda Pig.
Leslie S. Hilverding, Schuster Elementary School, El Paso, TX
Copyright 2000 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Gr. 1-2. New kid Albert knows how to read, but kids tease him for his lack of skill in playing ball. Yet as Oliver discovers, Albert is willing to learn, and he also has much to teach and share. Together, the two learn the power of teamwork and the joys and rewards of friendship. This title in the Dial Easy-to-Read series illustrates the importance of appreciating and respecting differences, as well as the idea that true friendship goes beyond having fun. The positive message is well conveyed using familiar situations, simple sentences, large type, and basic vocabulary. Colorful illustrations provide visual and explain the story as they offer newer readers a break from the text.^B Children will like bespectacled, endearing Albert, who loves to learn and never gives up trying. An entertaining story. Shelle Rosenfeld
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