The Tale of Angelino Brown by David Almond, Alex T. Smith (Illustrator)
Release: February 28th 2018
Format: Hardcover
Publisher: Candlewick Press
Source: Amazon
Tale of Angelino Brown Synopsis:
Bert and Betty Brown have got themselves a little angel. Bert found him in his top pocket when he was driving his bus.
Their friends think he’s lovely. So do Nancy and Jack and Alice from Class 5K. What a wonder!
But Acting Head Teacher Mrs Mole is not so sure. Nor is Professor Smellie. Or the mysterious bloke in black who claims to be a School Inspector.
Then there’s Basher Malone – big, lumbering Basher Malone. He REALLY doesn’t like Angelino. And it looks like he’s out to get him..
Review:
“The Tale of Angelino Brown” tells the tale of an adorable angel who shows up in the pocket of a bus driver, and changes the lives of people around him. This was such a cute and charming book to read!
My favorite aspect of this story is the positivity that seamlessly flowed from this story. Most of the kids and adults were not scared of Angelino at all when they meet him! They immediately considered him as one of their own, even though he was different. Betty instantly took to caring for him. It gives a perfect moral to just be yourself and people will like you for who you are. True, there were also some schemers in the book who took advantage of Angelino, but every story needs a villain. However, even the villains are written in such an appealing manner that you realize why they are behaving that way, and feel sympathetic towards them.
Most of the characters are charming and quirky in their own manner. It’s so hard to choose one special character because I was fond of all of them. Angelino is so cute with the way he talks and farts. Bert and Betty are the parents my heart went out to because they accept and take care of Angelino. Alice, Nancy and Jack are inspiring for befriending and supporting Angelino. Moreover, Ms. Monteverdi is so delightful, that I wish she taught in my school when I was young. Even Mrs. Mole and Professor Smellie are hilarious at times with their mannerisms.
Is David Almond the new Roald Dahl? The author tells the story in such a beautiful childlike way that you just get immersed in the story. In a way, his writing style made me feel the same way I felt when I read ‘Matilda’ by Dahl as a child. Suffice to say, I loved his style of whimsical writing and hope he continues writing such stories. Alex T. Smith has added beautiful illustrations to the book. To be honest, the illustrations made the book even more light-hearted that how I imagined. For example, when I first read about Mrs. Mole and Alice, I thought Mrs. Mole was going to be mean and Alice was a snob. However, the illustrations portrayed Alice as cute and smart, and Mrs. Mole as stern but kind. I feel the illustrations made the book story more fresh and interesting.
The only negative part for me was not knowing more about Angelino. Can the author make a sequel to the origins of how Angelino came to being? I would love to read more about them! Overall, I adored “The Tale of Angelino Brown” and give it 4.5/5 stars.
Hey! So. I got a copy of this one, and I started reading it, and I do remember it being cute! But like… too cute. I guess I wasn’t in the mood for it because I could not stand the cuteness ahah. Does that happen to you? I am definitely a mood reader. But great review, though! 🙂
LOL 😀 I can totally understand how you feel! I was reading this right along with some dramatic sagas and this seemed so whimsical and fun. It really reminded me of the kind of books I read during my childhood, which is probably why I enjoyed it 😀 Thanks!