Hey Al

A city janitor and his treasured canine companion are transported by a large colorful bird to an island in the sky, where their comfortable paradise existence threatens to turn them into birds as well. Al, a janitor, and his faithful dog, Eddie, live in a single room on the West Side. They eat together, they work together, they do everything together. So what's the problem? Thier room is crowded and cramped; their life is an endless struggle. Al and Eddie are practically at eachothers throats when a large and mysterious bird offers them a new life in paradise. After some debate, they decide to accept. Transported to a gorgeous island in the sky, Al and Eddie are soon living a life of ease and luxury. But they come to find that the grass can be a little too green on the other side. After a dramatic, nearly tragic escape from their paradise prison, both man and dog agree: there really is no place like home. Review: Like Maurice Sendak's Where the Wild Things Are, this picture book explores the pleasures and the costs of leaving home. . . Hey, Al is a perfect melding of words and pictures, fantasy and reality, tenderness and humor. --Judith Viorst, The New York Times Book Review Outstanding artwork. . .The author and artist succeed again, with a book that has something for everyone. --Starred, Booklist