Albert and the Flood

A Sweet Story in Albert’s Garden

Not counting board or activity books, "Albert and the Flood" is the 7th regular Albert the Tortoise picture book, written by Ian Brown and illustrated by Eoin Clarke. Albert is a tortoise who lives in his owners’ back yard and throughout the series we’ve come to meet some of his other garden friends. This time, they’re putting together their own version of the Olympic Games. Utterly charming are the illustrations of all the little creatures in their athletic gear: Spider in his cricket getup, Snail on a skateboard wearing a helmet, Daddy Long Legs spinning a basketball on one finger, and many more. (It’s nice to see that Ant Commander and Caterpillar are back -- rescued as we knew they would be after the “Shed” incident in the previous book.) In fact, though, the "Garden Games" are interrupted by “The Flood,” and so our favorite athletes become first responders. As is the case with all the books in this series, young readers learn serious lessons in a fun and whimsical manner. I had to laugh out loud at the way Spider and Daddy Long Legs saved some of the little creatures in danger of going down the drain. The value of teamwork and of helping out those in need, though, is always front and center. “Flood” is a lovely addition to a growing canon of stories celebrating friendship and the importance of caring for others.