Noodles & Albie

Kirkus Reviews

When a penguin receives a compass for his birthday, he gets the chance to help a lost Kris Kringle.  The enchanting prospect of birthday, undersea amusement park, and helping Santa has great appeal, even when Noodles must (temporarily) give away his compass. Reardon’s soft pastel illustrations are charming, capturing the playful, dynamic spirit of the characters. Beautiful illustrations, plus birthday and Christmas together—fun.

bookwormforkids.com

This is a cute story of penguins, friendship, and a dash of magic, which is sure to warm even the most frozen mood.

Publishers Weekly

Bennett and Reardon both get in some good jokes: Santa describes how his new GPS system’s incessant instructions led him to go off-course, and during a visit to an underwater amusement park, Albie and Noodles take a spin on the Octowhirl ride, an actual octopus. Readers will get a kick out of the animals’ obliviousness to all things Christmas.  A lighthearted Q&A with Albie—featuring questions about the Antarctic, how compasses work, and more—rounds out this warm friendship story.

Gersh Kuntzman, New York Daily News

This second Noodles & Albie is another sweet, fun story of penguins and friendship for the holidays, birthdays and everyday.

unleashingreaders.com

Noodles’ and Albie’s Birthday Surprise takes readers on a wonderful adventure with a delightful cameo the reader doesn’t see coming.

Mom's Choice Awards

We are happy to award deserving books like 'Noodles' And Albie's Birthday Surprise'. Our panel of judges really felt this heartwarming book merited a place on our list of the best in family-friendly products that parents and educators can feel confident in using.

Noodles' & Albie's Mermaid Parade

Here's What Teacher's and Librarians Are Saying About Noodles & Albie

"As a teacher, I think that this book is incredible! Set under the sea, this tale about friendship is great to read with a classroom full of children. There are plenty of characters (all different species of underwater animals), so it is easy to keep a lot of kid's attention with the use of different voices. There aren't any scenes that are truly scary, and there are several lessons to be learned, such as bravery, learning, trust, and friendship. There are so many activities to do with children that go along with/expand upon the story. I was able to write a lesson plan that fully encompassed all eight different intelligence's, and all four different types of learners. BUY THESE BOOKS! Give them to friends, family, or teachers! Everyone is sure to love them!"
Erica Sanders - Teacher, Worchester Massachusetts

Eric Bennett's Noodles & Albie books are creative, fun and interesting. His presentation and interaction with the audience made this entire event enjoyable for everyone. I look forward to his return when his next book is released!
Kathy Bort - Librarian, Otis Public Library, Otis, Mass

My students had a blast when Eric Bennett came to read “Noodles' & Albie's Mermaid Parade” at our school. He knows so much about penguins! We really enjoy the other Noodles and Albie books in our classroom too. They are beautifully written and illustrated and have wonderful messages.
Andrea Olkin, Teacher, Lander Grinspoon School, Northampton, Mass

"This is a wonderful story about friendship and growing up. The illustrations are a perfect compliment to the storyline and the illustrator's talent shines on every page."
Jude McGowan - Head Children's Librarian, Forbes Library

I was very excited to learn that Eric was writing a second story of these two charming and unusual friends. This book is a beautiful story of friendship. The illustrations are captivating. I love reading this story to my kindergarten children. They are a melting pot of many different cultures who bring lively discussions about similarities and differences, and how we are all friends regardless of our backgrounds. I highly recommend this book and look forward to #3.
Sandy Nathan - P.S. 31 Queens NY

We read Noodles & Albie - the kids could totally relate - as we talked about who takes swim lessons, and who could swim like Noodles. We liked the question / answer section at the back. It helped with our facts about penguins.
Bonnie Sucart - Beth Yeshurun Teacher, Houston, TX

It was wonderful to have Eric visit our library and share Noodles and Albie with the students. He was a dynamic reader and an enthusiastic presenter, and the students learned a lot about the writing process and how to turn an idea into a book. Eric was a pleasure to work with and was reliable, flexible and fun. The students got so much out of his visit (and even learned how to draw a penguin!). Eva Platt -
Librarian Presumscot Elementary, Portland, Maine

We had a wonderful author visit from Eric! Our students were delighted and captivated by the stories and illustrations in the books that were read to them. Eric spoke to our students about different species of penguins and their habitats. He even brought his collection of stuffed penguins so the kids could visually see the different appearances penguins have. We all thoroughly enjoyed hearing how the creations of Eric’s books evolved.
Ursula Thompson, Crown Point Elementary School, Ticonderoga NY