Hey, Al

Title: Hey, Al

Author: Arthur Yorinks

Illustrator: Richard Egielski

Readability: Grade level Equivalent: 4.7, Lexile Measure: 320L, DRA: 30-34

Genre: Adventures

Sub Genre: Classic, Family

Theme: Cleverness, Creativity, Imagination

Published: 1986

Publisher: Michael di Capua Books Farrar, Straus and Giroux

ISBN: 9780374429850

Awards: Caldecott Medal Winner

Characters: Al, Eddie (dog

 

Summary: This is the story of a janitor man and his dog.  They take a trip into a fairy tale land of plenty.  They have no job, and no worries.  This is all fine with Al, until they begin to look like birds.  Al soon realizes that "Paradise lost is sometimes Heaven found."

 

Classroom:  This is an extreme fantasy story for students.  The students could create their own solution to Al, and Eddies problems and find them a new way out.  Re-creating the ending of the story is also another option.