''Hey, Al'' is a children's book written by

Arthur Yorinks Arthur Yorinks (born August 21, 1953) is an American author, playwright and director. He is best known for writing '' Hey, Al'', which won a Caldecott Medal. Early life Arthur Yorinks was born on August 21, 1953, in Roslyn, New York. He was rai ...

and illustrated by

Richard Egielski Richard Egielski (born July 16, 1952 in New York City) is an American illustrator and writer who has worked on more than fifty children's picture books, eight of which he authored. He received his education at Parson's School of Design. Career ...

. Published by

Farrar, Straus and Giroux Farrar, Straus and Giroux (FSG) is an American book publishing company, founded in 1946 by Roger Williams Straus Jr. and John C. Farrar. FSG is known for publishing literary books, and its authors have won numerous awards, including Pulitzer P ...

in the year 1986, the book won the

Caldecott Medal The Randolph Caldecott Medal, frequently shortened to just the Caldecott, annually recognizes the preceding year's "most distinguished American picture book for children". It is awarded to the illustrator by the Association for Library Service ...

for

illustration An illustration is a decoration, interpretation, or visual explanation of a text, concept, or process, designed for integration in print and digitally published media, such as posters, flyers, magazines, books, teaching materials, animations, vi ...

in 1987.American Library Association
Caldecott Medal Winners, 1938 - Present
URL accessed 27 May 2009.

Synopsis

Al is a friendly janitor who lives with his dog, Eddie, in a small apartment on the West Side in

New York City New York, often called New York City (NYC), is the most populous city in the United States, located at the southern tip of New York State on one of the world's largest natural harbors. The city comprises five boroughs, each coextensive w ...

. However, their lives are rather unpleasant due to the apartment's small size and lack of space. One day while Al is shaving, a large bird pokes his head in through the bathroom window and invites both Al and Eddie to live on a large, tropical island in the sky. Al is hesitant to accept the offer, but Eddie convinces him to do so. The following day, the large bird flies Al and Eddie to the island. Both janitor and dog are immediately fascinated by the island's scenery and are warmly welcomed by the local birds. For days, Al and Eddie live peacefully on the island and believe it to be paradise. One morning, however, Al and Eddie are horrified to discover that, as a result of staying on the island, they are gradually turning into birds. Realizing their mistake, Al and Eddie use their newly-acquired bird abilities to fly home. During the flight, their abilities start to disappear, but Eddie, exhausted, crashes into the sea. After returning home, Al is devastated over Eddie's disappearance until Eddie, being a talented swimmer, manages to swim back home to Al. Reinvigorated, Al and Eddie live out their lives happily, deciding that "paradise lost is sometimes heaven found".

References

American picture books Caldecott Medal–winning works Books illustrated by Richard Egielski 1986 children's books Children's fiction books Children's books about birds Children's books about dogs {{child-picture-book-stub