Alfie: The Turtle that Disappeared written and illustrated by Thyra Heder

A sweet story about Nia, who gets a pet turtle on her sixth birthday. Nia  calls the turtle Alfie and for the next year becomes her best friend, reading him stories, making him gifts and teaching him to wiggle dance. Approaching her seventh birthday, here interest is waning, but then Alfie disappears. 

Now told from Alfie's point of view, Alfie appreciates all that Nia has done for him. He wantsbto make her as happy as she has made him by finding her a present for her seventh birthday. He leaves his aquarium to search for the perfect gift.

The ink and watercolor illustrations are sweet, and fill the pages with compositions that show the alternate perspectives of Nia and Alfie. A fun read aloud that is sure to bring up conversations about a variety of pet experiences.

Mark's Book Picks Score: 3.5

Reading Level: 2.5 • Interest Level: K-3 • AR Points: 0.5 • Lexile Level: 490 • Publisher: Harry N. Abrams • Pages: 48 • Copyright: 2017 • ISBN: 978-1-419-72529-6 • Available in Perma-Bound Binding

CYRM 2020/21 Nominee, Primary