Albie’s First Word: A Tale Inspired by Albert Einstein’s Childhood

Readers already know the end of the story: little Albie, a late talker, will become one of the greatest geniuses of the 20th century. Tourville’s invented biography of Einstein turns on the idea that while his silence and accomplishments mystify his family (“How did you do that?” they ask, after he constructs a tower of cards), he’s already aware of his own powers. Tourville (Big, Beautiful, and Pregnant) spices the dialogue of her first picture book with German endearments (“Albie, my darling mausi, what did you think?” asks his mother after an orchestra performance), while debut artist Evans paints theatrically lit, sepia-tinted period scenes in which Albie and his family appear as endearing marionettelike figures. In the story’s most sentimental moment, Evans shows Albie’s parents by lamplight, reassuring each other that “they would love him just as he was.” While the book doesn’t illuminate whether something about Einstein’s childhood made him into the towering figure he became, it’s a diverting portrait of the era in which he grew up, and a noteworthy first outing for Evans. Ages 4–8. Author’s agent: Brianne Johnson, Writers House. (Oct.)