Albert -- white-bearded, overalled, with a sunny, old-timey smile like a Petersham character -- has a favorite pastime: repairing stuff for neighbors, from fractured cup to fallen fence, leaky pipe to leaky roof. Each task requires different tools, mostly unnamed but easily identifiable in Paschkis's cleanly outlined representations. When Albert falls ill, the beneficiaries of his handyman largess bring him a wholesome meal; and once he's eaten garden beans, apple pie, and "minty tea," surrounded by his friends, the handyman himself is "on the mend," ready for a new project. The simply rendered, brightly decorative art suits this to the youngest would-be fix-it folk, who may especially enjoy naming the tools (with help from a knowledgeable grownup). The message that repairing is a useful alternative to replacing is implicit. Follow this with Leda Schubert and Mary Azarian's Here Comes Darrell for another portrait of a community where reciprocal help is normal, welcomed, and beneficial to all.

Neighbors band together to help the local helper. Albert is known as the Fix-it Man and, with his flannel shirt and crisp overalls, he certainly looks the part. A smile peeks out of his snowy white beard as he patches Auntie Miller's fence and fixes Mr. Jensen's motor and re-hangs Akiko's frayed clothesline. At night, he dreams about broken bicycles and loose floorboards. When Albert wakes up with a terrible cold, the sad news spreads quickly through the town. In no time at all, the people whom Albert has helped pile into the back of Mr. Jensen's truck and visit the Fix-it Man. They bring nourishment and TLC to his bedside; later Albert drifts off into a recuperative sleep, dreaming of tomorrow's projects. This is a warmly affecting story of (multicultural) community, greatly enhanced by Paschkis's stylish watercolor illustrations. (Picture book. 4-7)

Albert is a sweet, older gentleman who likes to fix things. He helps his neighbors with their household and car repairs. When Albert gets ill, his neighbors return the favor by visiting him and bringing him gifts of food. The bright watercolor illustrations are reminiscent of older style books-the characters have laughing eyes-but they are striking, somewhat whimsical, and enjoyable. The cast includes multicultural neighbors who all contribute to Albert's get-well dinner. Overall, this is a nice story with a good message that is not delivered with too heavy a hand. Recommended. Robin Henry, Library Media Specialist, Griffin Middle School, Frisco, Texas

Folkloric illustrations perk up this sister team's (Here Comes Grandma) otherwise modest tale about the value of community. Decked out in plaid shirt and overalls and sporting a snowy white beard that Santa might envy, Albert fixes Mr. Jensen's truck, fastens Akiko's clothesline and repairs Mrs. Peabody's leaky faucet; no job is too small. When Albert catches cold and takes to his bed, Mr. Jenkins drives the neighbors to Albert's house, where he is served beans from the garden he fenced, mint tea in the cup he mended and an apple pie covered with a cloth from the clothesline. Visual details enhance the story: the characters are of various ages and races; many different kinds of tools are put to use. Animals, including Albert's spotted gray cat, romp freely throughout. Paschkis favors flat shapes filled with decoration, using geometric patterns to adorn curtains, tablecloths and dresses, for example, and presenting plants and foliage as stylized ornaments. Readers will appreciate the warm portrayal of neighbors taking care of one another. Ages 4-8. (Mar.) Copyright 2008 Reed Business Information.

PreS-Gr 1-Life would be sweeter if everyone had a neighbor like Albert. He strolls through the community with his trusty toolbox in hand, alert to all sorts of repair opportunities, from rusty hinges, loose shingles, and fussy motors to leaky faucets and broken crockery. His generosity and skill are much appreciated, so when poor Albert is laid up with a cold, his neighbors waste no time making use of all of the items he's fixed to return the favor. This is a simple story that celebrates the virtue of good neighbors and shared kindnesses, made all the more charming by the folk-inspired illustrations that use cheery colors and bold patterns to convey a sense of warmth and community. Albert himself is a picture of amiability with his fluffy white beard, jaunty red baseball cap, and overalls-just the sort of avuncular man who earns the trust and admiration of those around him. An added delight is the wonderful white-on-black endpapers featuring just about every kind of tool and gadget that might be found in Albert's toolbox. A welcome dose of old-fashioned neighborliness.-Teri Markson, Los Angeles Public Library Copyright 2008 Reed Business Information.