Prolific children's author Alma Flor Ada presents twenty-eight brief poems—one for each letter in the Spanish alphabet**—in this picture book celebratProlific children's author Alma Flor Ada presents twenty-eight brief poems—one for each letter in the Spanish alphabet**—in this picture book celebration of Mexican American migrant farm workers. From the Árboles (Trees) that bear the fruit harvested by the young narrator's parents to the Zanahoria (Carrot) that is the color of the sun, these brief snippets offer insight into the hard work and loving family life of the farmworkers that harvest so much of America's produce. Written by the Alma Flor Ada in Spanish, the poems are translated into English by the author's daughter, Rosa Zubizarreta (who has translated other books by her mother as well), and illustrated by Simón Silva, himself the son of farmworkers...
I found Gathering the Sun: An Alphabet in Spanish and English quite lovely, appreciating the sense of strength, solidarity and love in these poems, which together form an engaging narrative. I really liked the fact that the book is bilingual, and arranged alphabetically by the original Spanish words, as this subtly emphasizes to English readers that the worldview of the narrative is centered around a different language, and organized around that language. This is, in itself, broadening in perspective. I don't know that I loved the poems, as poems, but I did like the feelings they evoked, and I especially liked the one for "Farmworkers," which emphasizes gratitude to the hard workers who harvest the produce we eat each day. The accompanying artwork from Simón Silva, who made his debut here, were created in gouache, and are colorful, expressive and engrossing. The illustrations for "Mexico," which centers a gorgeous Mayan sun disk, particularly stood out. Recommended to anyone looking for bilingual Spanish-English alphabet books with a little more substance, as well as to those seeking children's books about the migrant farmworker experience.
**This book was published in 1997, shortly before "ch" and "ll" were removed as separate letters from the Spanish alphabet....more
Author Marianna Mayer and illustrator Michael Hague revisit the subject of unicorns in this second picture book devoted to those magical creatures, foAuthor Marianna Mayer and illustrator Michael Hague revisit the subject of unicorns in this second picture book devoted to those magical creatures, following upon their earlier collaboration, The Unicorn and the Lake. Here there is no real story, as such. Rather, Mayer describes a series of plants, animals and legendary figures—one for each letter of the alphabet—that have some relation to or significance for the unicorn. Her brief descriptions, which often highlight folk beliefs around each subject being discussed, are paired with breathtakingly beautiful full-page illustrations. Decorative borders on each page surround both the panel with the text, and the paintings, created using pen and ink, watercolor, and gouache. A brief author's note at the front discusses the figure of the unicorn, while the significance of the border flowers used in each illustration are explained in a two-page note at the rear.
I have known Michael Hague's work since early childhood, having grown up with and loved his version of L. Frank Baum's The Wizard of Oz, but while I always enjoy his artwork, I wouldn't generally list him as one of my all-time favorite illustrators. That being said, I think the visuals in The Unicorn Alphabet are simply outstanding, perhaps the best I have ever seen from Hague, and I would definitely include this book in any list of personal favorites, when it comes to illustrated picture book fantasy, fairytale and folklore. My only critique of the book would be that it was sometimes difficult for me to see a direct connection between some of the plants and animals depicted and the lore of the unicorn, but I suppose an argument could be made that they are all also a part of the general medieval European lore that was concurrent with and intermingled with specific unicorn lore. Perhaps some of them were used in the beautiful tapestries featuring unicorns, or mentioned in ballads or folktales about these marvelous horned creatures. However that may be, so beautiful was the artwork here, and so much did I appreciate the wealth of folk references and botanical lore, that I wasn't too bothered about whether each plant, animal or person was directly connected to unicorns. Highly recommended to all unicorn lovers, and to anyone who appreciated beautiful picture book art. For my own part, I definitely want to own my own copy of this book!...more
The unruly alphabet which appeared in author Alethea Kontis and illustrator Bob Kolar's AlphaOops!: The Day Z Went First return in this second picThe unruly alphabet which appeared in author Alethea Kontis and illustrator Bob Kolar's AlphaOops!: The Day Z Went First return in this second picture book romp, this time celebrating Halloween. Halloween begins with H, who (rather than A) must open the show, followed by the various other letters of the alphabet who appear on stage, each representing something spooky—V for Vampire, R for Raven, and so on. Eventually B, sulking because P stole his idea—P for Pirate, rather than B for Buccaneer—even gets in on the act, ending the book with a great big (view spoiler)[BOO! (hide spoiler)]...
I was not aware of the earlier book featuring these letter characters when I found AlphaOops: H Is for Halloween on my public library's Halloween display last week. I simply thought the cover looked fun, with its vibrant color palette and quirky characters, and picked it up on impulse. On the whole, I think it lived up to that impression, with an entertainingly chaotic story, and appealing artwork that accentuated the sense of humor. I'm not sure how effective a tool this would be for starting to learn the alphabet, as all of the letters are out of order, and there's a lot going on visually, but I think it can reinforce letter recognition, in a fun, seasonal way....more
Twenty-six spooky poems from author Eve Merriam, one for each letter of the alphabet, are paired with intensely creepy illustrations from artist Lane Twenty-six spooky poems from author Eve Merriam, one for each letter of the alphabet, are paired with intensely creepy illustrations from artist Lane Smith in this marvelous Halloween picture book. From Apple—"Apple, / sweet apple, / what do you hide? / Wormy and / squirmy, / rotten inside"—to Zero—"Round blank / Round blank / Only bubbles / mark where it sank"—the poems here are dark, capturing the more disturbing, frightening aspect of the holiday. The accompanying artwork, done in oil paint, is perfectly suited to the text, and is likewise terrifying...
Originally published in 1987 as Halloween ABC, and then reprinted in a slightly revised format in 2002 as Spooky ABC—the text of the two titles is identical, with an afterword being added to the revised edition, as well as a somewhat different visual presentation of the artwork, now on colorful rather than cream backgrounds—this picture book is definitely on the scarier end, when it comes to seasonal fare for Halloween. According to the afterward in Spooky ABC (although it was Halloween ABC I checked out of my local library, I ended up reading both editions, accessing Spooky ABC via the Internet Archive), Lane Smith's artwork here came first, and was paired with Eve Merriam's poems after the fact, necessitating the changing of some of the paintings. As the afterword contained some of the artwork that was rejected from the initial title, I think on the whole I recommend seeking out Spooky ABC, even though I myself started with Halloween ABC. Leaving that aside, this was a very satisfying collection of poems for the season, sure to give readers and listeners a chill. I would recommend it for slightly older audiences, than would normally consume a picture book of this level, given the themes explored. Perhaps six or seven and above? As for me, I am already a Lane Smith admirer, but will definitely try to seek out more poetry from Eve Merriam....more
The wonderfully talented picture-book creator Yuyi Morales, who first explored the story of Señor Calavera ("Mr Skull") and Grandma Beetle in her JThe wonderfully talented picture-book creator Yuyi Morales, who first explored the story of Señor Calavera ("Mr Skull") and Grandma Beetle in her Just a Minute!: A Trickster Tale and Counting Book, revisits the pair here, in this immensely engaging alphabet book. As Señor Calavera sets out to attend his friend's birthday party, he is waylaid by Zelmiro the Ghost, who reminds him that he must bring a present—something the recipient will love. As our skeletal hero begins selecting gifts, from A to Z, Zelmiro keeps reminding him that it is the recipient who matters. When Señor Calavera finally amasses a wealth of gifts, and then an accident destroys them, it seems all is lost. Fortunately however, he has something to bring after all—(view spoiler)[Zelmiro himself, who is the ghost of Grandma Beetle's husband (hide spoiler)]...
Just In Case: A Trickster Tale and Spanish Alphabet Book was awarded a Pura Belpré Award for illustration and a Pura Belpré Honor for Narrative—two distinctions that were very much deserved. The artwork (as always, with Morales) was gorgeous, utilizing a lovely color palette and beautifully stylized figures, capturing the humorous and heartwarming aspects of the story to perfection. The visuals here have a Day of the Dead feeling—I have seen this one pop up on Day of the Dead picture-book lists—although it does not directly address that holiday. The story itself is engaging, with a repetitive structure that works the alphabetic part of the book into a larger narrative about birthdays, parties and gifts (not to mention loved ones!). There's plenty of Spanish vocabulary—the gifts are presented in Spanish and then in English—making this an excellent book for use with ESL students, as well as a wider audience looking for creative alphabet books....more
"When Halloween comes near, / Two black cats read and peer / At the ABCs of treats and fun, / That make Halloween loved by everyone." So begins this r"When Halloween comes near, / Two black cats read and peer / At the ABCs of treats and fun, / That make Halloween loved by everyone." So begins this rhyming Halloween alphabet book, as the two black cats cavort through an A to Z of spooky fun, from dusty attics to Zemula and Zerelda the witches. Each letter has an accompanying verse, often mentioning more than one Halloween item, and the accompanying artwork depicts the cats enjoying or interacting with those items...
I had never heard of author/illustrator Patti Reeder Eubank before an online friend's recent review of ABCs of Halloween—thank you, Kathryn!—but I'm glad to have discovered her work. The rhyming text here read well, introducing lots of interesting Halloween vocabulary, while the illustrations were appealing—colorful and cute, with two adorable feline stars. Not surprisingly, the witchy scenes were some of my favorites, particularly the ones attached to letter Q, when the cats are whispering in a witch's ear, and to letter W, in which a coven goes flying through the air. All in all, a solidly appealing Halloween alphabet book, one I would recommend to picture-book readers looking for such fare....more
That troublemaking feline who first appeared in 1957, in Dr. Seuss' very first early reader, The Cat in the Hat, returns in this second, alphabetiThat troublemaking feline who first appeared in 1957, in Dr. Seuss' very first early reader, The Cat in the Hat, returns in this second, alphabetic adventure. As the narrator and his sister Sally shovel snow, the Cat in the Hat appears, dashing off into the house despite being told he is not welcome. Here he makes the predictable mess, and then unveils his helpers: little cats in hats, nested within his own hat like Matryoshka dolls, and named (one each) for the letters of the alphabet. This feline crew swing into action to clean up the big pink spot that persists, as a result of the original Cat in the Hat's shenanigans, with the deciding factor in their success being the invisible VOOM living under Cat Z's hat...
Originally published in 1958, the year after its predecessor, The Cat in the Hat Comes Back was Dr. Seuss's sixteenth children's book, and the second of what would grow to become a substantial collection of early readers. Although it can be read as a picture-book, it belongs to Random House's I Can Read It All By Myself Beginner Books collection, which encompasses all of the Dr. Seuss and Dr. Seuss-labeled early readers, as well as other titles. Like the earlier title, it is a book I recall reading and enjoying as a child, although perhaps not as often or as much as the first. I picked it up for this reread as part of my recently begun Dr. Seuss retrospective, in which I will be reading and reviewing all of of his classic children's books, in chronological publication order. This is a project I undertook as an act of personal protest against the suppression of six of the author/artist's titles - And to Think That I Saw It on Mulberry Street, McElligot's Pool, If I Ran the Zoo, Scrambled Eggs Super!, On Beyond Zebra! and The Cat's Quizzer - by Dr. Seuss Enterprises, due to the outdated and potentially offensive elements that they contain. See my review of And to Think That I Saw It on Mulberry Street, to be found HERE, for a fuller exploration of my thoughts on that matter.
As I mentioned in my recent review of The Cat in the Hat, although these books are not currently being suppressed through this recent decision on the part of the copyright holder, Dr. Seuss Enterprises, to cease publication, it may only be a matter of time until they have been added to that sad list. To quote myself: "Sadly, the censorious impulse - including, and perhaps especially, the self-censorious impulse, of which this recent decision is an example - only gains strength as it is fed, and this particular book has already run afoul of those same critics whose work seems to have informed Dr. Seuss Enterprises' recent action against the artistic and literary legacy that they are meant to be representing. Apparently the argument has been put forward, in such academic titles as Philip Nel's Was the Cat in the Hat Black?: The Hidden Racism of Children's Literature, and the Need for Diverse Books, that the titular Cat in this story is a descendant of the minstrel shows and blackface of earlier generations, and that his actions are a coded reflection of white fears about the disruptive nature of black power. I cannot comment upon Nel's argument, having not yet read the book - something I hope to do in the future - but some of the reviews of it that I have seen, reviews that mention all of the "decoding" done by the critic, in order to arrive at his conclusion, do make me wonder whether the text actually supports that conclusion, or whether the entire argument rests upon the imposition of the critic's own preexisting assumptions upon the text. I hope, at some point, to have an answer to that question, as well as a better understanding of the role of critics like Nel in this recent decision from Dr. Seuss Enterprises. Whatever the final argument put forward in his book, it is not my intention to assert that he can be held directly accountable for this act of censoriousness, simply by virtue of his having made a critique of Dr. Seuss' work. There is a difference, after all, between critique - even harsh critique - and calling for censorship. Of course, if Nel's book does indeed make an argument for suppressing books such as The Cat in the Hat and The Cat in the Hat Comes Back, or if Nel was one of the panel of "experts" Dr. Seuss Enterprises is said to have consulted, then that is a different matter, and some of the blame for this recent episode of cultural vandalism can indeed be laid at his feet."
Again, as with the first book, in light of this criticism I have given particular attention to the depiction of the Cat during this reread, in order to see whether I could detect any problematic racialized elements to his character. There is certainly a disquieting element to these stories - Nel is not wrong in labeling the cat disruptive! - that I recall finding rather striking, even as a young girl. Of course, my sense then was more that the Cat was being "naughty," and that the story represented the mischief children get up to, absent parental authority. This second story has an additional disturbing element, one I see referenced in quite a few online reviews, in that the alphabetical cat crew use play pop-guns in defeating the pink spot. This is interesting, because I don't recall the pop-guns from my girlhood reading of the book, making me think now that I just accepted them as a matter of course, understanding that they were toys, rather than the real thing. Truthfully, even reading as an adult, I find the pop-guns (referred to in some online reviews simply as "guns," with no reference to them being toys) less disturbing than the pink slime, which initially came off the Cat in the Hat himself, after taking a bath. In any case, I don't see any of these story elements, however disturbing - the Cat in the Hat's blithe disregard for the fact that he isn't welcome, the nasty pink slime, the alphabetical cat crew - as being in any way "coded" black. I will have to read further, in Nel's work, to get a sense of why he thinks otherwise.
I'll conclude by observing, as I did in my review of the first book, that "whatever interpretation the reader lands upon, when it comes to the meaning of the story and its creator's intentions, the experience of generations of children confirm that this is an immensely entertaining book. I can only hope that it will not be disappeared by our current climate of censoriousness, and that coming generations will also be able to enjoy its odd, disquieting charm."...more
Having mastered the twenty-six letters of the English alphabet, Conrad Cornelius o'Donald o'Dell is surprised to discover that there are other lettersHaving mastered the twenty-six letters of the English alphabet, Conrad Cornelius o'Donald o'Dell is surprised to discover that there are other letters out there, beyond Z. Guided by the narrator, who steps in to share this amazing information, he learns about such letters as the Yuzz, used to spell Yuzz-a-ma-Tuzz; or the Thnad, used to spell Thnadners. Following along on a journey of enchanted discovery, Conrad Cornelius learns nineteen new letters, and meets nineteen unusual new creatures, realizing that there is so much to be found, beyond the letter Z...
Originally published in 1955, On Beyond Zebra was Dr. Seuss' eleventh picture-book, published the year after Scrambled Eggs Super! and Horton Hears a Who! With its catalogue of fantastic fictional creatures, it is reminiscent of earlier Seuss titles like Scrambled Eggs Super!, as well as If I Ran the Zoo and McElligot's Pool. With its alphabetic element however, it is also unlike these earlier books, and does something wonderful and new, introducing the idea, through a wild and wacky story, that there are other kinds of letters, and by extension, other sorts of writing systems out there, beyond the one that young children might know. I never encountered this one as a child - something I now regret - and picked it up as part of my recently undertaken Dr. Seuss retrospective, in which I plan to read and review all forty-four of his classic picture-books, in chronological publication order. It is a project that I began as an act of personal protest against the suppression of six of the author/artist's titles - this one, as well as And to Think That I Saw It on Mulberry Street, McElligot's Pool, If I Ran the Zoo, Scrambled Eggs Super! and The Cat's Quizzer - by Dr. Seuss Enterprises, because they contain outdated and potentially offensive elements.
As a young girl who had a fascination with languages and writing systems, a girl who created her own make-believe kingdom with its own history and elaborate customs, I would have adored On Beyond Zebra!. As it happens, I too created my own letters, just like Dr. Seuss, and my kingdom (Arcania) had its own language, with its own alphabet. Sadly, I have lost all my papers from that period in my life, but I recall that I enjoyed creating the rather ornate letters in my writing system, which was modeled on the Latin alphabet, but which used very different characters to represent upper and lower case letters, and long and short forms of the vowels. Reading this picture-book reminded me of the pleasure I took in creating my own language as a girl, and how that imaginative play led to my interest in real-world languages as an adult. I got a real thrill, therefore, reading this tale of another child discovering such wonders, and perusing the letters Dr. Seuss created, beyond Z:
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In thinking of why Dr. Seuss Enterprises chose to suppress this title, I must conclude that it is owing to the letter Spazz, used to spell Spazzim, a camel-like creature ridden by the Nazzim of Bazzim. This fellow looks to be Middle-Eastern, in a sort of vague way - the camel-riding, the headdress - and is no doubt interpreted by critics as an example of Orientalism. For my part, while I see that the depiction is a caricature - something upon which all of Seuss' work rests - I did not perceive anything hateful in it. If anything, it felt like a reference to stories like Aladdin, or other tales from The Arabian Nights. I would imagine that any number of western retellings of the latter could also be accused of Orientalism, so let's hope these self-styled arbiters of morality don't come for those classic stories as well. It strikes me as such a deep shame, that a book like this, which could lead children naturally and creatively into a better awareness of the richness of human language, and of the writing systems of the world, should be suppressed because of one arguably offensive caricature. It is ironic that, in taking steps to (in their own imagination) defend other cultures and peoples, these critics have decided to oppose a story that could be used to teach young children an appreciation for the linguistic diversity of our world, and for the cultural diversity from which it springs. Then again, these people really aren't defenders of culture (their own or anyone else's) at all, but architects of a new uni-culture, to be enforced through bullying and character assassination. One need only look at the specious accusations of far-right racism lobbed at any reader who opposes this move on the part of Dr. Seuss Enterprises, by some of our commentariat, as well as by private citizens online, to see that this is true.
Joshua T. Katz, a professor of linguistics at Princeton University who teaches a freshman seminar entitled "Wordplay: A Wry Plod from Babel to Scrabble" - a course which includes both On Beyond Zebra and James Joyce's Finnegans Wake on its syllabus - concludes in his recent article in The New Criterion, that this recent censorious move by Dr. Seuss Enterprises is a form of madness. I quite agree....more
Author Ying Chang Compestine and illustrator YoungSheng Xuan join forces in this alphabetical celebration of the customs and beliefs associated with CAuthor Ying Chang Compestine and illustrator YoungSheng Xuan join forces in this alphabetical celebration of the customs and beliefs associated with Chinese (Lunar) New Year. From acrobats tossing balls to the zodiac animals associated with each year, the entries here highlight culturally significant ideas, objects and activities. An afterword gives more detailed information, as well as a recipe for New Year's Dumpling Delight...
D Is For Dragon Dance is the third picture-book I have read from Compestine, and like the other two - The Runaway Rice Cake and The Runaway Wok: A Chinese New Year Tale - it is a Chinese New Year title. Like most alphabet books, it is short on story and long on concept, which is just fine, given its purpose. It is engaging enough, and introduces a number of ideas that can be elaborated upon by parents and teachers, should they so desire, making it a good introduction to the holiday for younger children. The illustrations from Xuan, whose work I know from such titles as Eric A. Kimmel's Ten Suns: A Chinese Legend, were colorful and appealing, emphasizing the fun and excitement of each scene. Recommended to picture-book readers seeking titles for Chinese/Lunar New Year....more
Canadian author Sara O'Leary and American illustrator Jacob Grant join forces in this entertaining alphabet book, offering a snapshot depiction of tweCanadian author Sara O'Leary and American illustrator Jacob Grant join forces in this entertaining alphabet book, offering a snapshot depiction of twenty-six different animals. From the titular owls, who cannot keep a secret, to the stargazing hedgehogs, who can't help being curious, each animal here has its own unique quality...
Having enjoyed other books from both O'Leary (This Is Sadie, A Family Is a Family Is a Family) and Grant (Cat Knit, Bear's Scare), I was sure I would enjoy Owls Are Good at Keeping Secrets: An Unusual Alphabet, and I was not wrong. The animal characteristics were sometimes quite apt - elephants being happiest at bedtime, toads being good at tongue twisters - and adorable artwork, this was a lot of fun to read! Recommended to young animal lovers, particularly those in the market for entertaining alphabet books....more
Author/illustrator James Rumford tells the myth of Cadmus, the Phoenician prince credited with founding the Greek city of Thebes, and said by HerodotuAuthor/illustrator James Rumford tells the myth of Cadmus, the Phoenician prince credited with founding the Greek city of Thebes, and said by Herodotus to have introduced the alphabet to Greece, in this engaging picture-book. Using the alphabet - a transliterated form of the Greek alphabet, that is - as his organizational structure, Rumford relates how Cadmus, at the instruction of the gods, followed an ox to the site where Thebes was to be built. Here he confronted and slew the terrible night monster, and used its teeth to create an army of men to help him build the city. Each portion of the story uses a different letter of the alphabet in some significant way, while also explaining its symbolic meaning, and an afterword shows the influence of the Phoenician script on the Greek, Hebrew and Roman writing systems...
As someone who studied Classics as an undergraduate, I can recall the way we looked at a chart very similar to the one that Rumford included in There's a Monster in the Alphabet, detailing how the Phoenician script was adapted by both the ancient Greeks and Hebrews, in creating their own writing systems. Given that background, I was quite excited to discover this title, which is the first children's book I have encountered to explore the history and development of western alphabets in this way. I appreciated the fact that Rumford did this through a retelling of the myth of Cadmus, as this is a fictional story that is intimately connected to the historical topic. The accompanying artwork, done in ink, watercolor and gouache, is clearly inspired by ancient Greek vase painting, and is striking. I don't know that this would be a good book to hand to a child completely unfamiliar with the topic, but as part of a larger lesson about the transmission and/or creation of the Greek alphabet, it could be very useful. It is for that purpose that I would recommend it....more
When Gurgle and Blog are sent to school by their mother, the twin witches take to their education with enthusiasm, learning their alphabet in one day.When Gurgle and Blog are sent to school by their mother, the twin witches take to their education with enthusiasm, learning their alphabet in one day. Their assignment when they go home is to make alphabet soup, and they approach this with enthusiasm too, adding everything from ants to bagworm, dandruff to earwigs. When they get to Z they hit a snag, before realizing that they can add Zack, the schoolmate who followed them home and has been spying on them. Will they manage to capture him, or will he escape before becoming the last ingredient in their concoction...?
Originally published in hardcover as The Alphabet Soup, and then in paperback as Bat Brain Stew, this witchy picture-book was expatriate Czech author/illustrator Mirko Gabler's first published title. It pairs an imaginatively magical tale about two little witch children going to school and making a disturbingly disgusting brew with a classic alphabet story structure. The accompanying illustrations are colorful and accentuate both the grotesquerie and the sense of humor in the text. As someone who has an interest in witchy picture-books - they're a pet project of mine - I found this engaging, but also on the gross side of funny, for my taste, and fairly text-heavy, for a picture-book. I'd recommend it to older picture-book readers - six and seven years old, perhaps - who enjoy humorous witchy fare....more
Self-taught artist Diana Pomeroy, whose illustrations are created using a distinctive potato print method, returns to the picture-book form in this foSelf-taught artist Diana Pomeroy, whose illustrations are created using a distinctive potato print method, returns to the picture-book form in this follow-up to her debut, One Potato: A Counting Book of Potato Prints. Here the focus is on the alphabet, and on the beautiful wildflowers of North America. Each page contains a letter in the alphabet, represented in both upper and lower cases, and a flower whose name begins with that letter. The alphabetic bouquet begins with asters and ends with Zigadenus fremontii (better known as camas). The book concludes with an afterward giving more information about each of the twenty-six flowers...
I had never heard of Pomeroy, or of Wildflower ABC: An Alphabet of Potato Prints, when I happened to pass it on display at my local library (blessedly now open again!) the other day. I was struck by the gorgeous front cover, and intrigued by the idea of print-making using potatoes (in carved stamp form, I presume?), and immediately picked it up. I'm so glad I did, as I greatly appreciated the beautiful artwork, as well as the more detailed information in the afterword. The former reveals a true eye for beauty, and the latter a love of the natural world. The rear dust-jacket blurb about the creator mentions that Pomeroy worked for many years as a welder in the Seattle shipyards, which is also impressive. If I had to hazard a guess, the vast majority of our children's books are created by comfortably middle or upper-class writers and artists, making this volume from a self-taught working-class woman especially welcome. I'm only sorry that this second book, published back in 1997, appears to have been her last. Recommended to anyone looking for beautiful alphabet books, as well as to those seeking children's books featuring wildflowers....more
Author Ida DeLage, whose fourteen-volume Old Witch picture-book series began in 1966 with The Farmer and the Witch, and concluded in 1983 with Author Ida DeLage, whose fourteen-volume Old Witch picture-book series began in 1966 with The Farmer and the Witch, and concluded in 1983 with The Old Witch and the Crows, here presents an alphabetical story of a witch at Halloween time. From A to Z, the story follows the witch as she creates a jack-o-lantern, frightens some children, and eventually zooms off on a Halloween night flight with six other witches...
Published in 1977, ABC Halloween Witch was one of a number of these alphabetical adventures written by DeLage, including ABC Pirate Adventure, ABC Christmas and ABC Easter Bunny. Each page here introduces a letter, a word beginning with that letter - with the notable exception of X, which is represented by the word 'six' - and a sentence using that word. The sentences together spin a story of the witch and her Halloween experiences. The accompanying artwork by Lou Cunette, who also illustrated Wayne Carley's The Witch Who Forgot, has a vintage, cartoon-like style. I don't know that this had particularly strong appeal for me, but as someone with an interest in witchy picture-books - a pet project of mine - I was glad to read it. Recommended to readers who enjoy vintage picture-books, or are looking for alphabetical Halloween adventures....more
One of numerous themed alphabet-books put out by the publisher Sleeping Bear Press, M Is for Meow is a celebration of all things feline, with a dual nOne of numerous themed alphabet-books put out by the publisher Sleeping Bear Press, M Is for Meow is a celebration of all things feline, with a dual narrative meant to appeal to both younger and older children. Each letter in the alphabet is accompanied by a simple rhyme in the center of the page (or two-page spread, as the case may be), as well as by a side-panel containing more detailed, factual information about whatever term is being presented: "G is for Grooming," "W is for Whiskers," and so on.
As a confirmed cat-lover, I fully expected to appreciate M Is for Meow more than I did. Of course, I did find the side panels very informative, discovering some things - like the fact that each cat's nose forms a unique pattern, much like human fingerprints - that were new to me. The illustrations, done by Robert Papp, were simply adorable! But the rhymes themselves were rather lackluster, and the organization of the factual information (as interesting as it was) felt rather random to me. I honestly don't see this one working very well, as an alphabet book, and think it has some flaws, as an informational book. Still, children who are getting a pet cat for the first time might appreciate the information, despite its organizational issues, and it is primarily to them, and to cat-lovers, that I would recommend the book....more
"Blocky or small, / thick or tall, / Roundish, slope-y, / Fancy, or dopey, / Letters look different in all different places, / That's because they hav"Blocky or small, / thick or tall, / Roundish, slope-y, / Fancy, or dopey, / Letters look different in all different places, / That's because they have different typefaces!"
And so begins the preface to this most unusual alphabet-book, which is really a love-song to typography. Each of the twenty-six "alphabeasties" in Sharon Werner and Sarah Forss' book is made up of letters. The zebra, seen on the front cover, is composed entirely of Zs in "American Typewriter." The hippopotamus is entirely made up of lower and upper case Hs in "Helvetica Rounded." Each letter of the alphabet, in addition to having its own "letter-beast," is shown in a number of different types, with observations on their character: "This lower-case g has a tail that grins." "This r is really straight."
With an appealing color scheme that runs toward blues and greens (although an occasional red does slip through), fold-out pages that allow for larger depictions (check out the octopus!), and a playful engagement with the typeface itself, Alphabeasties is another winner from the independent publisher, Blue Apple Books. Although very young children may find the talk of type rather confusing, older children who already know their ABCs can learn a lot from this one! So can their elders, if it comes to that......more
With its rhyming text and quirky cast of letters, The Sleepy Little Alphabet is strongly reminiscent of Bill Martin's classic Chicka Chicka Boom BoWith its rhyming text and quirky cast of letters, The Sleepy Little Alphabet is strongly reminiscent of Bill Martin's classic Chicka Chicka Boom Boom, although Sierra's narrative sees the lowercase alphabet preparing for bed, rather than heading for the coconut tree: "It's sleepytime in Alphabet Town. / As moms and dads run round and round, / the little letters skitter-scatter, / helter-skelter - what's the matter?" What begins in chaos ends in contentment, of course, as the little letters are soon put to bed, and snoring away with a zzzzz....
Although Sierra's tale of miniscules and majuscules is not particularly original, it reads well, and is entertaining enough. But it is Melissa Sweet's darling illustrations that really make the book, transforming letters into expressive and engaging characters. A whimsical combination of bedtime and alphabet book, sure to please the young children who make up its target audience....more
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