Hal & Al

Reviewed by: Melissa Madigan MB - Merrill Memorial Library, Yarmouth, Southern Maine Library District

Review Date: December 13, 2016

Review

This is a really great book for beginning readers who are comfortable with longer sentence structure and some bigger words. The text is large enough to easily read and the cartoon-like illustrations are detailed and colorful. There is even a small glossary in the back with discussion questions and the definitions of some of the longer words in the book. The story follows Hal, a seasoned forklift in a warehouse as he goes about his day arranging, lifting, and sorting incoming boxes. A great aspect of this book is its use of positional and descriptive words ("He lifted the huge red boxes from the middle shelf and placed them on the warehouse floor.") It also progresses smoothly from one page to the next with transitional words like "next" and "then," before explaining each task throughout his shift. As Hal is finishing up his work day, however, a new arrival comes to the warehouse: a brand new forklift named Al. Hal becomes worried because Al "doesn't need a break" and can lift more weight then he can, and begins to think that his beloved job may be in jeopardy. His supervisor, however, is quick to confirm that his job is safe and that Al is there to work with him, instead of replacing him. Nice overall storyline, good for both one-on-one and independent reading. Will be anticipating more additions to this series.

NOTE: The price for this library edition is listed as $19.99 on both Barnes and Noble and Amazon - pricey for an easy reader book. Paperback is more affordable at $4.99.

Overall Book Score: very good