The Tale of Angelino Brown by David Almond (review)

Grumpy bus driver Bert discovers a tiny angel in his pocket, and he takes the angel home and names the silent little fellow Angelino. Bert’s wife, Betty, brings Angelino to her work as a school cook, where the children, if not the teachers, welcome the wee wonder of a farting angel into their lives and teach him to talk and play soccer. Angelino is endangered, however, first when he’s kidnapped by two fellows who aren’t beyond reform, and then when he’s menaced by someone who is, but Angelino turns out to be well able, with a little help, to save himself. Almond doesn’t shy away from the grim side of life, highlighting the violence and social injustice of the world at large as well as the supercilious nature of bureaucratic school reformers; however, the overwhelming ethos of this tale is one of kindness, wonder, and a deep love for people. Angelino’s unexplained presence inspires bravery in the children, repentance in his kidnappers, and a renewal of joy for Bert, Betty, and several of the teachers. Almond accomplishes all this with a droll wit that balances the schmaltz, changing up the manner of narrative address to invite readers into the world he creates, evoking a little Roald Dahl here, a little A. A. Milne there, and always foregrounding a strong faith in the ability of art, love, and community to restore broken people, so long as they can remain alive to wonder. Quirky pencil illustrations play up both the humor and the sweetness in this book that this makes for a lovely, joy-affirming readaloud as well as a readalone.