Albie's First Word: A Tale Inspired by Albert Einstein's Childhood

by Jacqueline Tourville, Wynne Evans (Illustrator)

Overview

Here’s a beautiful historical fiction picture book—perfect for the Common Core—that provides a rare glimpse into the early childhood of Albert Einstein, the world’s most famous physicist.

Three-year-old Albie has never said a single word. When his worried mother and father consult a doctor, he advises them to expose little Albie to new things: a trip to the orchestra, an astronomy lecture, a toy boat race in the park. But though Albie dances with excitement at each new experience, he remains silent. Finally, the thoughtful, quiet child witnesses something so incredible, he utters his very first word: “Why?”

Kids, parents, and teachers will be delighted and reassured by this joyous story of a child who develops a bit differently than others.

"More than a distinctive introduction to Albert Einstein, this book promotes both understanding of difference and scientific curiosity." —Kirkus Reviews, Starred

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780307978950
Publisher:	Random House Children's Books
Publication date:	10/28/2014
Sold by:	Random House
Format:	eBook
Pages:	40
Lexile:	AD720L (what's this?)
File size:	29 MB
Note:	This product may take a few minutes to download.
Age Range:	4 - 8 Years

About the Author

Jacqueline Tourville’s first word, according to her mother, was “ball,” followed closely by “book.” She has authored several books for adults, and she writes about child health and development for various publications and websites. This is her first picture book. Originally from Plattsburgh, New York, Jacqueline lives in coastal Maine with her physics-loving husband and two young daughters, one of whom was a late talker. Learn more at jacquelinetourville.com.

Wynne Evans’s first word, said on a lakeside camping trip, was “fish.” This is his picture book debut. He lives in Brooklyn, New York, with his wife and daughter.

Editorial Reviews

09/01/2014
Readers already know the end of the story: little Albie, a late talker, will become one of the greatest geniuses of the 20th century. Tourville’s invented biography of Einstein turns on the idea that while his silence and accomplishments mystify his family (“How did you do that?” they ask, after he constructs a tower of cards), he’s already aware of his own powers. Tourville (Big, Beautiful, and Pregnant) spices the dialogue of her first picture book with German endearments (“Albie, my darling mausi, what did you think?” asks his mother after an orchestra performance), while debut artist Evans paints theatrically lit, sepia-tinted period scenes in which Albie and his family appear as endearing marionettelike figures. In the story’s most sentimental moment, Evans shows Albie’s parents by lamplight, reassuring each other that “they would love him just as he was.” While the book doesn’t illuminate whether something about Einstein’s childhood made him into the towering figure he became, it’s a diverting portrait of the era in which he grew up, and a noteworthy first outing for Evans. Ages 4–8. Author’s agent: Brianne Johnson, Writers House. (Oct.)

Publishers Weekly

The simple story is told with heart, suspense and gentle humor […] More than a distinctive introduction to Albert Einstein, this book promotes both understanding of difference and scientific curiosity.” —Kirkus Reviews, Starred

From the Publisher

12/01/2014
K-Gr 3—Though he can build an astonishing house of cards and take his father's compass apart and reassemble it, little Albie just won't talk. When his concerned parents consult the doctor, he advises them to expose the tyke to new experiences. A trip to the symphony and an astronomy lecture excite the youngster but fail to inspire speech. Based on Einstein and his sister's actual accounts, this fictionalized version of the three-year-old's delayed speech and much-awaited first word is a surprising and entertaining introduction to the subject. While the endpapers are covered with mathematical formulas, and an author's note offers insight into the physicist's accomplishments, the tale can stand on its own as an amusing picture book as well as offer obvious reassurance for families dealing with speech delays. The oil-glazed illustrations are clever and lively. They capture the boy's spirit and curiosity while clothing and homely furnishings capture the era. Little Albie's exaggerated eyes, ears, and cheekbones give him a somewhat comical appearance reminiscent of Boris Kulikov's characters. Follow this story up with Jennifer Berne's On a Beam of Light (Chronicle, 2013) or Don Brown's Odd Boy Out (Houghton Harcourt, 2004) for science or biography units.—Barbara Auerbach, New York City Public Schools

School Library Journal

★ 2014-08-27
The fact that Albert Einstein uttered his first words later in life than most children inspired this quirky, endearing tribute to the famous scientist and humanitarian. "Albie, as everyone called Albert, liked to do all the things other children did." This sentence floats in white space above an intriguing piece of artwork, nicely framed within an oval shape: In muted tones of amber, a boy clad in 19th-century clothes is leaping over black-and-white tiles and then over a threshold into a just-barely-seen, brighter room. The artwork's subliminal message compels readers to turn the page. Thereafter, the text intersperses its tale of a mute little boy with nuggets of historical and cultural reality describing the lives of the German upper middle class in the late 1800s. There are even some German words. The simple story is told with heart, suspense and gentle humor. The complementary artwork features appropriately detailed backgrounds and beautiful chiaroscuro juxtaposed with an Albie whose body exhibits exaggerated toddler proportions and whose face looks modeled in clay. Readers of all ages will enjoy the wise and witty climax, and older readers will appreciate the endpapers—reproduced from Einstein's "Zürich Notebook"—and the thoughtful author's note. More than a distinctive introduction to Albert Einstein, this book promotes both understanding of difference and scientific curiosity. (glossary, photograph) (Picture book/biography. 4-8)

Kirkus Reviews