Arthur Garber, the Harbor Barber

In Arthur Garber, The Harbor Barber, Joe Frank tells readers the tale of a small town barber who provides haircuts for naval crews and tourists. Nothing is ordinary for Arthur Garber. He meets all sorts of people and hears all sorts of stories. Some may be real; some may be maritime myths. Readers don’t always know whether to believe these tales that Arthur Garber is telling them. For example, readers hear a tale of a crude raft and its rider who’s been lost out at sea for over a year, and he had so much hair that even the tide came and went before the haircut was finished. A bird then delivered a message from this rider whose crew is now growing out their hair so Arthur Garber can cut it for them. Using rhyme, Frank brings this seaside town to life with the different people he meets and the different tales he sees and hears. Young readers will find the text accessible and fun to read.

The brightly illustrated watercolour drawings in Arthur Garber, The Harbor Barber are also very appealing to readers. The outlined watercolour illustrations are clear and easy to understand for younger readers and match well with the rhyming on each page. For older readers or parents reading to younger children, there are details in the illustrations that allow for interaction and conversation. This would also be a great tale to begin introducing children to the barbering profession. Many career related titles are nonfiction, and Arthur Garber, The Harbor Barber would be a fun rhyming tale to read as an alternative. Overall, this humourous (and sometimes silly) title is an entertaining readaloud.