Alfie Gets in First [Hardcover]

Shirley Hughes (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: March 1982

Alfie accidentally locks his mother and baby sister Annie Rose outside and can't reach the latch to let them in. Soon the whole neighborhood is involved in getting the door open.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Alfie accidentally locks himself in the house alone in Hughes's energetic story. Ages 3-6.
Copyright 1987 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Review

Unbearably exciting. Our four-year-old demanded a second reading Daily Echo 20041008 There's just something so reassuring about Hughes' colourful drawings of the day-to-day activities that you know inside out ... words and pictures merge seamlessly ... Hughes is a magical storyteller with an instinctive understanding of the mind of the pre-schooler ... she makes the ordinary extraordinary Guardian 20050629 Shirley Hughes is a national treasure Text and artwork are both delightful and sympathetically balanced British Book News --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 32 pages
• Publisher: William Morrow & Co (March 1982)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0688008488
• ISBN-13: 978-0688008482
• Product Dimensions: 8.2 x 8 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 9.6 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (7 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,170,093 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars May save your toddler from locking you out of your house, June 27, 2000

By 

Ann M. Huebner (Virginia, USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Alfie Gets in First (Hardcover)

This is one of my favorite Alfie Books. It is also the first in the series. It's about a toddler named Alfie who keeps running ahead of his mother and baby sister as they return from their shopping. Alfie wants to get home first. Eventually, he gets into the flat first--only to shut the door and lock himself in. Various neighbors come over to help, until there is a crowd in front of the door. The situation is rendered wonderfully in "split-screen" fashion, with the adults and the exterior of the flat on the left-hand page and Alfie and the interior of the flat on the right-hand page. Thus we see the adults standing outside and becoming increasingly alarmed, while Alfie calms himself down, brings a chair over, climbs up on it, and opens the door. Then everyone comes in for tea. It's really a sweet story. It's also a cautionary tale for those toddlers who, like mine, tend to shut doors they ought not to. Alfie's predicament made quite an impression on my son!

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Fantastic title for two year olds, July 20, 1998

By A Customer

This review is from: Alfie Gets in First (Paperback)

I have a hard time believing such a wonderful book for two year olds is out of print. Both my children love the story of this little boy whose brazen independance places him in a scary situation. They truely could relate to his delimma and the feelings it caused. They really loved the ending. It reinforced that independance may get you into scary situations but with it you can also get out of them and feel proud of your accomplishment.

5.0 out of 5 stars A Warm, Entertaining Mini-Adventure, May 11, 2009

By 

Shanna A. Gonzalez "eyelevelbooks.com" (Gaithersburg, MD) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Alfie Gets in First (Paperback)

An entertaining story about a little boy who, racing his mother and baby sister into the house, accidentally locks them outside. A page-turner for kids and moms. One very nice aspect of the story is the sense of community that Alfie's mother has with her neighbors: a crowd gathers in concern about helping her solve the problem, and when the door is open she invites everyone in for tea. This is unusual in our modern, insular lifestyle, and an excellent model for relating to our neighbors.

It takes a gift of storytelling to tell a story about the challenges of the three-to-five age in a way that is interesting and amusing for both children and adults. Hughes' illustrations are endearing in their detail, conveying warmth and delight, and all of the Alfie stories exemplify the security of a loving family.