Albie is not a bear who likes to be told what to wear. While most teddy bears might be happy to leave outfit choices to their owners, Alfie has very definite ideas about his fashion style. But he also changes his mind – A LOT. From fairy king to cowboy, seasick pirate to city gent, Albie has an outfit for every occasion, but none feel quite right. Can he find one that perfectly represents him?
This is a lovely book with a great message about finding your own identity and choosing for yourself how you present to the world. Young readers will particularly enjoy Albie’s various different outfits and moods.
Jeanne Willis’ charming rhyme makes this a wonderful book to share and read aloud, whilst Brian Fitzgerald’s colourful illustrations perfectly capture Albie’s changeable personality.
Albie arrived wearing NOTHING but fur, he could have been either a Him or Her... Most teddy bears let their owner decide, but Albie would not, for a bear has its pride. But each outfit that Albie purchases - from fairy to pirate, from cowboy to elegant city gent - proves unsuitable in some way, and by the end of the week his bedroom is heaped with discarded clothes. How will he dress in order to feel like himself?
A hilarious story in verse that's great to read aloud, about dressing up and one bear's search for his own identity.
‘It’s a treat to read aloud, and illustrator Brian Fitzgerald has great fun depicting Albie’s different outfits and changing moods. Tucked in amongst the fun, there are gentle messages about identity and choice too. This is bound to be a huge favourite with children.’ - Books for Keeps
'With a clever surprise ending this is a wonderful, vibrant, and silly story with an important message about having the confidence to be ourselves, always.' - Armadillo
‘This laugh-out-loud rhyming story blends funny, powerful and highly-engaging themes of empowerment, roles and sharing with hilariously bold illustrations. At school it’s a great choice to share with EYFS classes. At home, it may well be your next smash-hit bedtime read!’ - School Reading List
‘Jeanne Willis’s text is huge fun to read aloud and Brian Fitzgerald’s entertaining scenes of Albie’s ever changing gear and his various fashion fiascos in his search for his true self are sure to appeal to young listeners. I suspect this will become a story time favourite.’ - Red Reading Hub
Author
About Jeanne Willis
Jeanne Willis is an award-winning children's author and scriptwriter. She wrote her first book when she was five - a slim volume about cats written in pencil and stitched together with a painfully blunt needle so that it looked like a 'real' book. After that, there was no turning back. Having been fired from her Saturday job - selling cowboy boots on the Kings Road - for chewing gum, and after a brief career as a reptile vet's assistant, she worked as a copywriter and had her first picture book published at the age of 21 (which she wrote whilst pretending to be busy creating adverts for cognac).
She has since written over 300 books and has won several awards, which are arranged in the attic where she works, along with her collection of caterpillars, pink-toed tarantula skins and live locusts. Jeanne has a keen interest in Natural History and has lost count of the number of species featured in her books, including everything from slugs to sloths. She is currently into corvids - especially Nosy Crows.
Jeanne has won the Silver Medal Smarties Prize for Tadpole's Promise, the Nasen Special Needs Award for Susan Laughs, the Sheffield Children's Book Award for Who’s in The Loo and the Red House Children's Book Award for Bottoms Up. Jeanne has also worked on scripts for TV, including Polly Pocket and The Slow Norris, and a pilot TV series for Dr Xargle.
