Given as a gift in a stocking, Alberto the rabbit, a button-eyed stuffed animal, is immediately beloved by the little boy who receives him. Alberto and the boy spend all their time together, enjoying each other’s company (despite the boy’s nighttime drooling), though Alberto’s time alone with the boy’s other toys, listening to the boasts of electric cars and boats proves dismaying. But one day Alberto meets an old toy horse who tells him that when a kid loves a toy enough that toy can become real. What follows is Alberto’s at times harrowing journey to acceptance, love, and becoming real. Accompanied by simple yet expressive digital illustrations, this adaptation of Margery Williams Bianco’s The Velveteen Rabbit is a triumphant tale of the meaningful connections kids make with their toys.

Though the illustrations are colorful and lively, and the plot moves along at a good pace, the book, which is marketed as “designed especially for children who are in between reading picture books and chapter books,” struggles to find its footing in form. The narrative is broken up into micro-chapters which interrupt the smooth reading experience of a picture book, and make it feel longer than it really is. Even for older or more advanced readers there’s too much text on a page to read confidently, and one double-spread near the end would require a reader to be extremely comfortable with text of different sizes and directions.

Best read aloud by an advanced reader or read slowly for those still getting used to reading, Alberto is still sure to delight young readers with its tale of whimsy and love. While the story tackles some heavier topics, such as grief and sickness, its heart is in the transformative friendship between Alberto and the little boy, and it rises to a heartfelt ending full of joy.

Takeaway: A heartfelt ode to the transformative bonds between child and toy, adapted from a classic.

Great for fans of: Mo Willems’ Knuffle Bunny series, Emily Jenkins’s Toys Go Out.

Production grades
Cover: A-
Design and typography: B
Illustrations: A-
Editing: A-
Marketing copy: A