ALBIE ON HIS WAY

Albie, a rodent known for speed, sets out to deliver an important scroll from the king to the neighboring monarch, but detours interrupt his trip.

After a series of good deeds, among them helping a squirrel family whose father was injured when he fell out of a tree, returning a lost ball to a “sad little critter,” and looking after the children of a tired mother pig who needs to do her shopping, Albie encounters a threatening bulldog and must take a different route. Lost and exhausted, the rodent is rescued by kind groundhog Alma; Albie recovers and develops a close relationship with her. Finally, Albie arrives at the neighboring castle—or so it seems. “How surprised I was to find my VERY OWN king!” Albie has gone full circle without ever delivering the important message. But the benevolent king, grateful for the intriguing distraction, is more interested in hearing about Albie’s adventures; Albie is rewarded with a house, Alma is invited to move in, and the two start a family. Albie narrates this German import, with colorful, charming cartoons bringing the tale to life. Meanwhile, a second story deftly unfolds in a wordless series of black-and-white shaded scenes below each of Albie’s episodes, detailing the porcine king’s rather lonely existence—an understated yet resonant message that friendship and connection are what enrich life. (This book was reviewed digitally.)

Subtle and kindhearted.