Nia loves Alfie, her pet turtle. But he's not very soft, he doesn't do tricks, and he's pretty quiet. Sometimes she forgets he's even there! That is until the night before Nia's seventh birthday, when Alfie disappears! Then, in an innovative switch in point of view, we hear Alfie's side of the story. He didn't leave Nia-he's actually searching for the perfect birthday present for his dear friend. The journey takes him down the fire escape and into the yard. Can he find a gift and make it back in time for the big birthday party? From the author-illustrator of Fraidyzoo and The Bear Report comes a warm and funny ode to friendship-even when the friends see the relationship, and the world, very differently.

 

This book was recognised by the Eb White Read Aloud Award. The E. B. White Read Aloud Award was established in 2004 by The Association of Booksellers for Children (ABC) to honor books that its membership felt embodied the universal read aloud standards that were created by the work of the beloved author E. B. White. In 2006 the award was expanded into two categories: The E. B. White Read Aloud Award for Picture Books, and The E. B. White Read Aloud Award for Older Readers. Titles are nominated for the award by ABC booksellers, and then the final decision is made by a committee of booksellers that meets annually in February.

There are 48 pages in this book. This is a picture book. A picture book uses pictures and text to tell the story. The number of words varies from zero ('wordless') to around 1k over 32 pages. Picture books are typically aimed at young readers (age 3-6) but can also be aimed at older children (7+). This book was published 2017 by Abrams .

Thyra Heder is the author of Fraidyzoo, The Bear Report , and Alfie . She is also an illustrator and storyboard artist for film and advertising. She lives in Brooklyn.