Albert Le Blanc > Reviews > I'm really not unhappy!

Author's product rating:   

Would you listen to it again?	Yes
Story	Good
Characters	Outstanding
Listenability	Pretty compelling but not addictive

Advantages:	A lovely story about others trying to make someone smile !
Disadvantages:	None

Recommend to potential buyers:

yes

Full review

I only happened upon this book in December despite it having been around since 2002.

- Nick Butterworth -

I know of the author due to his Percy the Park Keeper books which are a firm favourite with many children who have passed through my classrooms over the years!

Nick Butterworth had planned to go to art college after leaving school but instead got a job as a typographic designer in the printing dept of the National Children 's Home.

He then worked as a freelance graphic designer and then went on to writing and illustrating his own children's books with huge success.

- Who is Albert le Blanc? -

Albert le Blanc is a huge French polar bear in Mr Jolly's Toy Shop. He has sad looking eyes and even looks sad from behind with his hunched up shoulders!

- The Story -

Albert is seen by the other toys in Mr Jolly's toy shop and instantly becomes the object of their curiosity. They don't like the fact that he looks so sad and make a determined effort to cheer him up.

An array of toy shop characters join in with the effort to make Albert happy, e.g. Jack-in-a-box, Pickle the mouse, Sally the ballerina hippo. Albert tries a couple of times to assure the other toys that he isn't unhappy or sad, it's just the way he looks but his protests fall on deaf ears.

The toys decide to put on a show for Albert le Blanc which really isn't that good as things tend to go wrong.
Finally a not-so-elegant hippo ballerina, a.k.a Sally slips and slides and lands on top of Albert.

Frustrated by their attempts Albert roars " PLEASE, I keep trying to tell you! I AM NOT UN-HAPPY!"

Albert explains that he just has a sad look on his face but doesn't feel sad. As you turn the page, you can see why Toby the cat announces that Albert doesn't look sad anymore.

Albert has Sally's lipsticked smiley mouth on his mouth, obviously during the fall she ended up by accidentally plastering him with her smackers!!

This made all of the toys giggle, including Albert who had the 'biggest, deepest, loudest and funniest laugh of all!'

~ Format and illustrations ~

The illustrations are fantastic, very detailed with lots of toys to look at on the shelves. Children particularly enjoy spotting some of the characters from other popular books which make guest appearances:

• Kipper
• Noddy
• Elmer
• The Snowman
• Paddington
  and lots more!

There is a good mixture of text and illustrations, however the text is quite lengthy and appeals more to 4 years and upwards unless you have a litttle one who totally absorbs books etc..

~ Price ~

My paperback, ISBN: 0-00-776983-0 was £5.99, it is however a larger style book. Amazon are selling sed and new copies from 29p so a huge bargain even with P&P taken in to consideration.

~ My verdict ~

This is a lovely story about others trying to cheer someone up. Children love the magical element of this book, in that toys come alive when the shop is closed.
Not my all-time favourite book but certainly a lovely story with great illustrations and lots for children to learn and look out for!