Shy, bespectacled Alfred doesn’t fit in with other kids; perhaps because of this, he falls in love with books at an early age and determines to collect them all. Finally, Alfred manages to round up the last book in town and, unsure of what to do, settles into his home to read each and every volume. Meanwhile, without books, life becomes dull for the other inhabitants of the town. When the very well-read and much older Alfred emerges, he brings books for the people as well as a lesson about sharing them. Pamintuan’s bright, shiny, sharp-edged illustrations portray the young boy amid towering stacks and the rolling landscape of his small town as he and his collection grow, while tight, crisp rhymes trace his journey. If the story is both a tad predictable and a bit confusing (why did Alfred collect books if he didn’t intend to read them?), the colorful pictures will draw children in, and the sprightly text will hold their attention. While its ultimate message may be worthy, however, this parable may be a little too opaque for child readers. (Picture book. 5-7)
