Hellobee

by: Mrs. Carrot

My first introduction to Jez Alborough was a few months ago, in an indie book store in Washington DC. I tend to buy most of Baby C’s books there, to assuage some of the guilt I feel over buying pretty much everything else on Amazon. I was with two of my best friends, and we were browsing the kids/YA section and I came across Hug. It’s a virtually wordless board book, showing an adorable little monkey named Bobo on a journey through a safari, where he gets to observe various animal pairs (moms and kids, we are led to presume) hugging each other. Through his journey, he realizes that he too wants a hug, but he can’t find his mom and the other animals don’t understand when he asks them for a hug. We see Bobo get curious, then sad, and finally, utterly elated when he finally finds his mom (and other friends) to hug.

The illustrations are what make Hug so special – the looks on Bobo’s face tell the entire story, no words needed. When I picked it up, it tugged at every heart string I have so strongly, I actually teared up, as did my two friends. Baby C is too young to understand books without words, but I had to have it. And then, I had to tell my coworkers about it. I work for a children’s literacy organization so clearly they would appreciate this find (though I was 99% sure that they already knew about this book, since they’re way bigger kid book nerds than I am). And it turned out that my coworkers not only already know about Hug, they also know the magic that makes Jez Alborough’s books so special.

I was treated to a dramatic reading of Where’s My Teddy? and then a few weeks later, as I was rotating Baby C’s library, I came across a stashed away copy of It’s the Bear! that I didn’t even realize we had. It was apparently a favorite of my mom’s from her days of doing storytime readings at a children’s museum over the last 20 years, and she got it for Baby C at some point. I knew then that I had to stock up on Alborough’s library for Baby C and learn more about the man who’s been making me (and so many people around me!) laugh and cry at the same time.

Alborough was born and still lives in England. He became an artist first, starting to draw at a young age. After attending art school, Alborough worked as an illustrator for other writers, until he found his own writing niche and began creating his own books. His first book, Bare Bear, was published in 1984, and kicked off a long career in children’s writing, with over 45 books and counting. His newest book, Albert and Little Henry, will be published in July of this year. In addition to being a prolific writer and illustrator, Alborough plays in a band and maintains an active website where he shares videos of him reading his own books, background on how he writes and illustrates his books, and fun resources like printables and e-cards.

Alborough’s books are almost always written in rhyming couplets, which gives them a sing-song pace and makes them ideal for reading out loud, especially to smaller kids easily drawn to rhyme. Over the years, many of Alborough’s books organized themselves around particular characters, like Eddie, his teddy bear Freddie, and Eddie’s nemesis/(spoiler alert!) friend, the Bear; Bobo the Monkey; and the adventurous Duck. Although the books themselves usually aren’t sequential or related, the characters become so familiar to little readers that they become easily hooked and want to hear more. A number of Alborough’s books are now out of print, but there are many amazing ones dating back to the early 1990s that are still find-able and worth adding to any kiddo’s library. Here are some of my favorites.

Eddie and the Bear Books

Where’s My Teddy?
Paperback, 32 pages
Ages 2-7

It’s The Bear!
Paperback, 32 pages
Ages 2-7

My Friend Bear
Paperback, 32 pages
Ages 2-7

This series is by far my favorite of all of Alborough’s books. Eddie and the Bear appear together three times (sadly – I so wish there was more of these!) – first in Where’s My Teddy?, an absolutely hilarious story about losing one’s lovey (Eddie’s teddy bear Freddie), only to find that everyone, including big brown bears, have loveys and fears of their own. Although they find that they have a lot in common, Eddie and the Bear are equally afraid of each other after this initial encounter, as illustrated by Alborough’s wonderful pictures that give parents a lot of context that kids aren’t likely to decipher until they’re a little older – a sort of awesome inside joke for adults. Eddie and Freddie then re-appear in It’s The Bear!, when Eddie’s mom takes him on a picnic and he doesn’t want to go because he knows the bear lives in the woods. Again, the illustrations show that even as Eddie is terrified of the Bear, the Bear is equally afraid of Eddie, though the text never conveys this out loud. And in their final appearance in My Friend Bear, Eddie and Bear realize that they’re both looking for a friend and perhaps neither of them should be afraid of the other. These books are aged for kids 3-7, but I really think they’re great for a younger set as well. My nearly 2 year old asks for these on a daily basis!

The Duck Books

Duck in the Truck
Ages 3-7
32 Pages

Captain Duck
Ages 3-7
40 Pages

Super Duck
Ages 3-7
32 Pages

The Duck first appears in Duck in the Truck, very reminiscent of Nancy Shaw’s Sheep in a Jeep, with an anti-hero twist. Alborough’s infectious rhyme continues in this series, following the Duck on his various misadventures, like getting stuck in the mud with his truck or trying to pilot a boat with a full animal crew on board. Reviews of the Duck books are mixed – some teachers and parents think that the books teach bad manners because the Duck is kind of a jerk in some cases (ie, when he leaves his animal friends in the dirt, after they help him dig out his truck from the mud) – but as with anything, it’s all about how you read the book. Baby C’s token response when we read “leaving the Frog, the Sheep, and the Goat stuck in the muck!” is “Oh no! That’s not nice!” There are seven other Duck books, all equally hilarious and often with a fun plot twist at the end.

Bobo Books

Hug
Ages 0-3
32 pages

Yes
Ages 2-5
40 pages

Tall
Ages 2-5
40 pages

The Bobo books are amazingly illustrated and virtually wordless – similar to Good Night Gorilla, the books rely on pictures to tell the story, with only a few key words (Hug, Yes, No, Mommy, etc.) thrown in where appropriate. Yes is a particularly fun book for toddlers exploring the word “No,” as Bobo and his mom argue about things Bobo likes (yes bath!) and doesn’t (no bed!) As I mentioned at the start of the post, I adore the illustrations in these and think they’re wonderful books, but I admit, I struggle to understand how these are good for little readers, since they’re usually too small to understand the nuances in illustration and thus the story being conveyed. It’s possible that this is just a “me” problem – I’m not much of a storyteller, so I much prefer to have words someone else wrote to tell the story. Either way, these are definitely in our collection and wonderful books to work on storytelling, both for myself and Baby C as she gets older.

Other Notables

Watch Out! Big Bro’s Coming!
Ages 3-7
32 Pages

Shortlisted for a Children’s Book Award, this hilarious tale has an entire jungle of animals shaking in the bushes as the big, bad, tough “Big Bro” is rumored to be approaching. They spend lots of time speculating about Big Bro’s size and might, only to find that size and fears are all relative.

Nat the Cat’s Sunny Smile
Ages 3-7
32 Pages

One of Alborough’s more recent publications, this lovely tale follows a cheerful kitten looking for friends to picnic with. Although her sunny mood starts to waver as her friends decline her company, Nat quickly finds (and little readers quickly learn) just how infectious a smile can be.

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Alborough’s website, although a bit rudimentary, offers a lot of awesome activities to tie to the books, including tips on how to draw his characters in very basic steps, games and quizzes. It’s very clear from Alborough’s website and writing that he truly cares about connecting with his readers, both young and older, so he spends a lot of time letting his fans in on his process, and making sure that his books really stick with the readers for years to come. Although Alborough isn’t as well known as some children’s writers, his books are truly special and worth a place in every child’s library.