Monday, July 26, 2010

Book Review - Alfred Zector, Book Collector


Author: Kelly DiPucchio
Illustrator: Macky Pamintuan
Publisher: HarperCollins (May 4, 2010)
Reading Level: Ages 4 to 8
Source: Library
Rating: 3.5 Stars

Description from Amazon:
In his warm, weathered house, stuffed in crannies and nooks, were heaps, rows, and stacks of beloved bound books.

The only thing that brings Alfred Zector joy is collecting books. And so he sets out on a mission to collect every last one, until his home on the hill is stretched at the seams with books big and small. But what happens when the rest of the townspeople have nothing left to read? In this clever rhyming story, Alfred Zector discovers what it means to find true joy in a good book.


As a child, Alfred begins to either barter for or buy up every book in town. He stuffs him home with books and then sets about the task of reading each and every one of the books. The reader watches as time passes and Alfred grows older until as an old man he had read all of the books in his home. However, rather than being a satisfactory experience that he anticipated, it became almost like a prison. Until one day, Alfred discovers that maybe sharing books are more fun than collecting books.

I really hoped to enjoy this book more. However, it seemed to be missing something. It was a fun but not in the way that made me want to read it over and over again. The illustrations had a nineteen-fifties quality to them. Though they represented the story well, the pictures don't necessarily take the story to a new level.

This is an enjoyable read but not one that I must have for my personal collection.
I would be most content if my children grew up to be the kind of people who think decorating consists mostly of building enough bookshelves. ~ Anna Quindlen

Good children's literature appeals not only to
the child in the adult, but to the adult in the child.
~ Anonymous ~