alphabet

Review: A Zeal of Zebras by Woop Studios

| Tasha

zeal of zebras

A Zeal of Zebras: An Alphabet of Collective Nouns by Woop Studios

Follow the alphabet on a journey through the beautiful and evocative collective nouns in our language.  You will get to see a galaxy of starfish, an aurora of polar bears, and even an ostentation of peacocks.  Each animal then has a paragraph or two of information on them, small details that show the unique qualities of that creature.  This is all paired with vibrant illustrations that have the feel of vintage posters and are graphic and wild.  This is one alphabet book that is more about the wordplay and the art than the ABCs.

While the paragraphs are well-written and concise, it is really the art that makes this book special.  The printed and distressed quality of the images and the way that the posters are replayed on the pages with words make the entire work visually intriguing. 

As I finished reading this with both of my sons looking over my shoulder and commenting on the incredible collective nouns, we all agreed that whoever named collective nouns was an artist.  The same can be said for this entire book.  It was done by real artists.  Appropriate for ages 5-8.

Reviewed from library copy.

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Review: E-mergency! by Tom Lichtenheld

| Tasha

e-mergency

E-mergency! by Tom Lichtenheld

The entire alphabet lived together in one house.  Every morning they all ran down the stairs to breakfast, but one morning there was an accident.  E was running down the stairs too fast and took a tumble.  The ambulance arrived and took E off to the ER.  With E gone, A took charge and assigned E’s duties to O.  In order for E to heal, no one could use that letter.  The letters took to the airwaves to ask people not to use the letter E until E recovered.  They even went to DC to tell the government.  With O filling in for E, things got vory confusing.  But E wasn’t gotting any bottor.  Who could bo causing tho problom?

This book had me laughing aloud.  First was the puns with the different letters, the jokes told in the asides.  They are the real treasure of this book and will get young readers laughing too.  Then readers have to watch the letter characters too.  They tend to spell out appropriate words as the action in the book changes, adding another layer of humor to the book.  Add into that the humor of trying to read a book without the letter E, and you have this zany, silly wonderful book.

Lichtenheld’s illustrations are filled with humor and motion as well.  They are bright, busy and great fun to look closely at.  My favorite spread is the double-page illustration of a busy city street where E is not being used.  It results in lots of humor. 

This book reads aloud well, but I would not recommend it without reading it first, especially the many pages with O filling in for E.  It makes for a tongue-twister, but also one that young listeners will love to see you attempt. 

Hilarity, alphabet, and word play, what more could one ask for?  Appropriate for ages 4-7.

Reviewed from copy received from Chronicle Books.

Review: An Annoying ABC by Barbara Bottner

| Tasha

annoying abc

An Annoying ABC by Barbara Bottner, illustrations by Michael Emberley

Take a very funny trip through the alphabet in a series of mishaps in this silly picture book.  When Adelaide starts the story off by annoying Bailey the chain of events carries all the way through the classroom from A to Z.  Children are crying, fuming, howling, and evening stumbling and tumbling before it reaches the end.  But then, when everything is done, Adelaide apologizes! 

Bottner has created a zany way to do the ABCs filled with plenty of action and nonsense.  This is a modern classroom filled with characters that are depicted in detail by Emberley.  He manages to imbue each of them with their own sense of personality and style, all 26 of them.  It is a book that races along thanks to the pacing of Bottner’s words, but readers who linger on each page will get a better sense of the story itself as told through the illustrations.  It’s a pleasant mix of words that are welcoming and fast, and pictures that are worth exploring.

A thrilling ABC, this is one of those books where children act like children and laughter abounds.  Appropriate for ages 3-5.

Reviewed from library copy.

Review: Apple Pie ABC by Alison Murray

| Tasha

apple pie abc

Apple Pie ABC by Alison Murray

A small black-and-white dog desperately wants a piece of apple pie in this alphabetical story.  It all starts with a girl making A for apple pie and a happily sleeping dog.  But as soon as the pie is in the oven with B for bake it, the dog is very interested in the pie.  Then the pie must C for cool it and D for dish it out.  Though the girl gets to eat some pie, the dog must make due with just a crumb.  But after that one delicious crumb, he just can’t stop thinking about eating pie!   This cheery picture book mixes the alphabet with an alphabetical storyline more robust than in other books that try this technique.  Readers will love the many ways the dog tries to get pie and then the very satisfying and delicious conclusion.

Murray has created a book that really works the alphabet into the story.  Even without the alphabet as part of the book, this story and the writing would stand on its own.  That’s something that can rarely be said about an alphabet picture book.  The writing is kept very simple and solid.

Murray’s illustrations are a treat in this book.  They have a natural, old-fashioned quality to them that makes the book warm and inviting.  Add the apple pie element, and you have a book that feels like a classic picture book yet still has a modern perspective too.

A delight of a picture book that will satisfy yet leave young readers eager for seconds.  Appropriate for ages 2-4.

Reviewed from library copy.

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Book Review: If Rocks Could Sing by Leslie McGuirk

| Tasha

ifrockscouldsing

If Rocks Could Sing: a Discovered Alphabet by Leslie McGuirk

This is such an intriguing premise for an alphabet book!  Each alphabet along with the items that the letter stands for are shown in rocks.  The rocks were found along a Florida shore and not changed to look this way.  It is a book based on finding treasures others overlook and seeing possibilities.  The book has a simple layout, allowing the rocks to be the feature here.  It begins with A is for Addition with rocks standing in for 1, 8, = and 9.  B is for Bird with a very unique bird-shaped rock posed in a nest.  C is for couch potato, because who could ever not use this perfectly potato-like rock!  The book is a whimsical tribute to beachcombing.

It is such a simple concept that it has to be done right.  While a couple of the rocks do seem more like blobs than the object they are meant to be, others are startlingly close.  Look at the T is for Toast page, and you can almost see the whole-wheat grain in the toast slice.  The book is a delight just to page through and discover.

It is a book that will have you looking for much more than pretty seashells on your next visit to the beach!  Appropriate for ages 2-4.

Reviewed from copy received from Random House Children’s Books.

Also reviewed by Journey of a Bookseller.

Check out the trailer:

Welcome to My Neighborhood! A Barrio ABC

| Tasha

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Welcome to My Neighborhood! A Barrio ABC by Quiara Alegria Hudes, illustrated by Shino Arihara

This alphabet book, from the author of the musical In the Heights, takes a gritty and realistic look at urban life that will be familiar to many children while exposing other children to a new setting.  Ava takes her friend on a tour of her neighborhood and many words in Spanish.  She starts with a hug for her abuela and passes through G for graffiti, M for los muralistas painting murals on the walls, V for vegetables in what used to be a vacant lot, and ends at Z Street where the cars zoom past.  Ava adds lots of small details to her alphabet tour that really show her enthusiasm for her neighborhood as well as giving the reader more details about her home.  This is a tour worth taking!

This book does not sugarcoat what you will see in an urban neighborhood with abandoned cars, graffiti, and a burned building.  But for children who see these things in their own neighborhoods, they will find a picture book that depicts their own world, something invaluable for a child.  The Spanish words add a great rhythm to the book and another layer of information.  Airhara’s illustrations use a lot of open space, emphasizing the stretches of blocks, the expanse of the city.  They are simple and have a pleasant mix of bright color and earth tones. 

A book that fills a need in children’s alphabet books for books set in urban locations, this will be welcomed on library shelves.  Appropriate for ages 3-5.

Reviewed from copy received from Arthur A. Levine Books.

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Alpha Oops! H Is for Halloween

| Tasha

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Alpha Oops! H Is for Halloween by Alethea Kontis, illustrated by Bob Kolar

The mixed up alphabet antics continue in this second Alpha Oops book.  A isn’t ready to go on, but H has to start a Halloween book anyway.  H starts with Halloween, and the other letters join in for a Halloween-themed alphabet that is not in any particular order.  As the letters reveal themselves, poor B keeps on trying to get his word in but is upstaged each time.  He tries to be a buccaneer, but P is wearing the same costume for pirate.  X has trouble finding the perfect word too, but S is there with a great idea.  Keep an eye on the bottom of the page as the alphabet fills in with pumpkins bearing the letters that are in alphabetical order.  You will just have to wait until the end of the book to find out what B has in store for you!

This book is filled with laughs thanks to the underlying story of the letters putting on a show.  The asides from the different letters are very funny, offering a deeper story to this book than just the alphabet and letters. It turns this book into one that children too old for regular alphabet books will really enjoy. 

Kolar’s illustrations are filled with great deep colors from an eerie yellowy green to vibrant reds to glowing orange.  The book fairly pops with color and action.  Make sure to take the time to look at the illustrations because he has filled them with critters, candy and plenty of additional laughs. 

A bright, funny alphabet book that is a perfect Halloween treat.  No trick.  Appropriate for ages 3-6.

Reviewed from library copy.

Walden Then & Now – Slow Down and Enjoy

| Tasha

Walden

Walden Then & Now: An Alphabetical Tour of Henry Thoreau’s Pond by Michael McCurdy

McCurdy has outdone himself in this latest book featuring his woodcut illustrations.  This book is an alphabet book that is not for preschoolers but perfect for elementary children wanting to learn more about Thoreau and his time at Walden Pond.  Each letter of the alphabet is matched with a word from Thoreau’s book that illustrates some of the most important and basic tenets of his time in the woods.  Many of the letters stand for different creatures in the forest, but others are less tangible like J for joy and Q for quiet.  After each letter and the object it stands for, McCurdy summarizes why that object was important to Thoreau.  It is here that the philosophy and point of view become very clear even to young readers.

What can one say about a master illustrator like McCurdy?  His illustrations feel so right paired with Thoreau as a subject matter.  It may be the timeless nature of the woodcut but it is also the simplicity of the illustrations that work so very well.  Many of the illustrations stopped me for a time and I lingered just with the image for a bit.  They so capture moments and bring one directly back to Walden Pond.

The text of the book is successful as well as it hearkens back directly to Thoreau as well.  Thoreau’s own journey is written clearly and thoughtfully.  By lingering on the things that he lived with during his time in the woods, readers will discover how universal his journey was for all of us.

This is a thoughtful book that resonates with a love of solitude and nature.  Appropriate for ages 7-9.

Reviewed from copy received from Charlesbridge.

The book trailer captures the spirit of Thoreau and this book very nicely:

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LMNO Peas

| Tasha

LMNO Peas by Keith Baker

Follow the energetic and very friendly green peas in an alphabet journey through various activities.  Starting with A, the peas are acrobats, artists and astronauts.  Each letter has activities that are shown in the illustrations with charming detail that invite readers to spend time with the book.  The use of activities rather than objects as the words makes for a dynamic picture book filled with lots of action.  The text reflects that same active feel with a jaunty rhyme that gallops along.  Make sure to read aloud the comments of the peas along the way, because they are worked into the verse and maintain the meter of the rhymes.  This is a charmer of an alphabet book that is sure to be a hit with kids.

The illustrations in the book are done digitally.  They have a warm and natural feel to them that suits the subject of friendly, active peas very nicely.  The smiling green peas have limbs, wear costumes, and use props.  They use the letter themselves as the basis of their activities, climbing them, mining them, using them as a stage.  This makes sure that kids are really looking at the letters themselves.  There is a superb sense of humor on display throughout, sure to have adults and children smiling and laughing along. 

A very inventive alphabet book that should find a home in every public library collection, this book is appropriate for ages 2-4.

Reviewed from copy received from Beach Lane Books.

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