SchoolZone

All About Alfie

Shirley Hughes

Bodley Head Children's Books

ISBN 9780370331942

Alfie celebrates his 30th birthday in 2011 and "All About Alfie" is the perfect gift for the occasion! Alfie and his best friend Bernard have a day out full of surprises when they go to meet a very great person indeed. What's more there are secret dens to explore, snowy skies, birthday fun and a very unexpected visitor on a special night-time trip! Join our little hero and his friends and family in a celebration of all things Alfie...

I find it very hard to believe that actually Alfie is as old as my eldest son and I can imagine that there are many, many young teachers who grew up with Alfie as he did. It will be a lovely experience for them to share these new adventures with their class and discover that Alfie is truly timeless.

I suspect that many of them went into teaching because they wanted to work with children like Alfie: inquisitive about the world and people, willing and wanting to experience things, loyal and loving but as mischievous and real as the boy next door.

The opening pages really sum this up - Alfie's expression and posture in his secret den, with his treasures, his little picnic and his beloved Flumbo, capture an instantly recognisable moment of childhood: when we can dare to be alone!

The new stories are bound to become firm favourites with the class. The first with the visit to Great Grandma on her 90th birthday will support lots of discussion about families and family history and the second night time adventure is tailor made for light and dark and nocturnal animal projects.

I hope this lovely new book stimulates interest in the veritable treasure trove of books we have by Shirley Hughes. The 30th anniversary of Alfie has also given us a very useful new website http://alfiebooks.co.uk/allaboutshirleyhughes_interviews.asp and for those who did not get to the anniversary exhibition at the Illustration Cupboard, we can still share a tour with Shirley herself introducing the pictures at:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A41AsU1LpFc