NEW ALPHABET BOOKS MAR. 06
ALP Bak
Black and White Rabbit’s ABC / Alan Baker. Reading Level: 1.6
The story of a rabbit’s exhausting efforts to paint a picture presents the letters of the alphabet.
ALP Ban
Alphabet soup / by Kate Banks. Reading Level: 2.1
A boy’s ability to spell words with his alphabet soup comes in handy during the magical journey he takes in his mind with a friendly bear.
Publishers Weekly (August 8, 1994)
A boy with a vivid imagination turns lunchtime into an occasion for splendiferous adventures. Ages 3-7.
ALP Ban
A prairie alphabet / text by Jo Bannatyne-Cugnet. Reading Level: 4.2
Text and illustrations of the prairie in an alphabet book for children and an art book for adults.
Horn Book (March, 1993)
Intricately textured, detailed paintings effectively evoke scenes of prairie life in Canada, with one scene per letter. In the sentence accompanying each painting, several words begin with the letter under consideration. Also included are an introduction, two pages of brief descriptions, and a list of additional objects — sometimes quite specialized — for which to search.
ALP Bas
Animalia / Graeme Base. Reading Level: 4.5
“A Robert Sessions book.” An alphabet book with fantastic and detailed pictures, bearing such labels as “Lazy lions lounging in the local library.”
Publishers Weekly (September 11, 1987)
Base has created an ABC book that goes far beyond a simple listing of items in alphabetical order. There are captions or headlines accompanying each letter’s scene, such as “Eight Enormous Elephants Expertly Eating Easter Eggs,” or “Two Tigers Taking the 10:20 Train to Timbuktu.” Each picture is replete with an apparently random choice of objects that have in common (on every page but the one for the letter X) their first letters. This Australian import makes for a delightful visual feast, though it lacks a clear conceptual coherence or unity of action or meaning on every page. No matterreaders will have a fine time guessing at objects and searching for a small child who hides among the pages; and the meticulous artistry is far-reaching in its innovation, detail and humor. Base’s monumental effort will not go unrewarded; if books could be honored for the sheer number of hours readers could pore over crammed pages, and for the inexhaustible supply of extra touches, this one surely would be a winner. All ages
ALP Bay
A my name is Alice / by Jane Bayer. Reading Level: 2.5
The well-known jump rope ditty which is built on letters of the alphabet is illustrated with animals from all over the world.
ALP Car
ABC, I like me! / by Nancy Carlson. Reading Level: 1.5
An alphabet book that explores self-esteem.
Horn Book (September, 1997)
A companion to I Like Me! this book is more a lesson in fostering positive self-esteem than it is an introduction to the alphabet. An affable pig and her animal friends delineate intangible qualities–cheerfulness, kindness, and sharing–that allow youngsters to feel good about themselves. Big bold illustrations, done in bright colored markers, are unremarkable in their rendering.
ALP Cas
The butterfly alphabet book / by Brian Cassie and Jerry Pallotta. Reading Level: 4.7
Introduces butterflies from A to Z, describing their distinctive features while highlighting each letter of the alphabet.
Horn Book (March, 1996)
Fun facts about the interesting insect combine with vivid illustrations. Despite inane comments such as “the Violet Copper is a copper of a different color,” fans of Pallotta’s innumerable alphabet books may enjoy this addition.
ALP Chi
A is for Asia / by Cynthia Chin-Lee. Reading Level: 6.2
An alphabetical introduction to the diverse peoples, lands, and cultures of the world’s largest continent.
Horn Book (September, 1997)
Covering subjects from batik, camels, and dragon boats to xiang qi (Chinese chess), yurts, and Zen, this alphabet book contains succinct but lively descriptions of each topic followed by the featured word printed in one of fifteen Asian languages. Heo’s flat, playful panoramic scenes are well-suited to Chin-Lee’s quick spin around the continent, the Soviet Union, the Middle East, and the Pacific Islands.
ALP Cli
Quilt alphabet / by Lesa Cline-Ransome. Reading Level: 2.3
Presents a rhyming riddle for each letter of the alphabet and includes folk art illustrations that provide clues to the answers.
Horn Book (Spring, 2002)
For each letter in this country-themed alphabet book, a quatrain and an oil painting invite readers to guess the word that starts with that letter “kettle, leaves, mailboxes.” The poems are too oblique for the alphabet crowd to decipher easily, but the paintings are masterful, and the answers are in the back for easy reference. Each highlighted letter appears in a painted quilt-like block.
ALP Dra
Alligator arrived with apples : a potluck alphabet feast / by Crescent Dragonwagon Reading Level: 3.0
From Alligator’s apples to Zebra’s zucchini, a multitude of alphabetical animals and foods celebrate Thanksgiving with a grand feast.
Publishers Weekly (August 31, 1992)
In this jaunty concept book, a motley menagerie assembles a bounteous Thanksgiving repast. PW said, “Bouncy illustrations give this meal a carnival-like merriment, making it a jubilant feast for the eyes.” Ages 5-8.
ALP Dem
Firefighters A to Z / Chris L. Demarest. Reading Level: 2.2
An alphabetic look at a firefighter’s day.
Horn Book starred (Spring 2001)
In a smoothly rhyming text, this exciting alphabet book details what happens from the time the alarm sounds at the fire station to the final “zip into bed for a rest” once the blaze has been extinguished. Permeated with intense primary colors, the images in the action-oriented artwork build on one another to convey the physical nature of this dramatic but serious job.
ALP Dod
An alphabet of dinosaurs / by Peter Dodson. Reading Level: 2.9
“A Byron Preiss Visual Publications, Inc. book.” Illustrations and text present information on the physical appearance and eating habits of twenty-six dinosaurs.
Horn Book (September, 1995)
For each letter of the alphabet, a dinosaur is illustrated with boldly imagined — if somewhat fantastical — paintings, along with a black-and-white sketch of its skeleton. The text points out two or three notable elements about each creature, and a useful appendix includes information on diet, habitat, size, where fossils are found, and the meaning of names.
ALP Eic
Ape in a cape : an alphabet of odd animals / by Fritz Eichenberg. Reading Level: 2.8
“Voyager Books.” An assortment of animals introduce the letters of the alphabet.
ALP Elt
Q is for duck : an alphabet guessing game / by Mary Elting & Michael Folsom. Reading Level: 1.9
While learning some facts about animals, the reader is challenged to guess why A is for zoo, B is for dog, and C is for hen.
ALP Ern
The letters are lost! / Lisa Campbell Ernst. Reading Level: 1.5
Long ago all the letters of the alphabet were together in their box, but one by one they disappeared and now the reader helps to find them.
Publishers Weekly (February 1, 1999)
PW called this ABC primer featuring wooden alphabet blocks “inviting and stimulating.” Ages 2-6.
ALP Fle
Alphabet under construction / Denise Fleming. Reading Level: 2.4
A mouse works his way through the alphabet as he folds the “F,” measures the “M,” and rolls the “R.”
Horn Book starred (April, 2003)
Fleming’s exuberant Mouse takes on the alphabet with all the industriousness of Martha Stewart and a lot more joyful abandon. Gluing “G,” measuring “M,” and welding “W,” Mouse builds letters on well-designed pages saturated with color. Each page is devoted to one letter and a different activity familiar to the alphabet-book crew. Fleming’s paper-pulp illustrations are especially well suited to the topic.
ALP Gag
The ABC bunny / by Wanda Gag. Reading Level: 1.9
Presents a children’s alphabet rhyming book that follows Bunny from Bunnyland to Elsewhere and describes what he eats and the friends he meets.
Horn Book (Spring 2005)
Illustrated with lithographs, this reissue is much more than a straight alphabet. It chronicles the story of a small rabbit’s journey from Bunnyland to Elsewhere and back again ("A for Apple, big and red / B for Bunny snug a-bed / C for Crash! / D for dash! / E for Elsewhere in a flash!").
ALP Gei
Pigs from A to Z / Arthur Geisert. Reading Level: 2.0
Seven piglets cavort through a landscape of hidden letters as they build a tree house.
Publishers Weekly (November 28, 1986)
Pigs from A to Z updates the traditional alphabet book in a potentially useful way. Rather than the usual presentation of a picture illustrating each letter, Arthur Geisert (Pa’s Balloon and Other Pig Tales offers intricate etchings depicting pigs engaged in assorted pursuits. In each picture, several examples of the letter are cunningly hidden among the whorls of artwork. This gives readers the opportunity to interact with the bookto actually learn about the letter’s shape by looking for it. The black-and-gray tones add to this book’s eccentric appeal; the clever doings are humorously underplayed by the text’s dry wit. (All ages)
ALP Ger
The absolutely awful alphabet / Mordicai Gerstein. Reading Level: 1.7
“Voyager books.” Presents an illustrated alphabet book for young readers that features outrageous characters in the shape of each letter.
Publishers Weekly (October 22, 2001)
“With each letter more hideous and mean than the last, this alphabet will supply kids with an abundance of insults. Gerstein panders to the baser impulses with gleeful good cheer. The bright oil portraits of the vile characters may well fire young imaginations,” wrote PW. Ages 3-7.
ALP Gir
ABC for you and me / written by Margaret Girnis. Interest Level: K-3
Photographs show children with Down syndrome in activities with objects corresponding to the letters of the alphabet.
Booklist (Vol. 96, No. 21 (July 2000))
Ages 2-7. This alphabet book uses photographs of children with Down Syndrome as it introduces letters of the alphabet. Simple words, such as apple and ball are used under each photograph, and the items appear as props in the pictures. The multiracial models are all photogenic, enabling the photographer to capture their personalities and give youngsters a glimpse of who they are. At times, the models pose with what appear to be siblings, and the author thanks the 12 families at the start of the book. In no way does this book pander to an audience or flaunt a segment of the population; it merely celebrates the beauty of all children, much like the spirit behind the Special Olympics. The creative team behind this book wisely chose not to include an introductory or closing essay, nor a blurb about Down Syndrome; the pictures simply speak for themselves. A book for all preschool classrooms.
ALP Gus
Alphabet soup : a feast of letters / written and illustrated by Scott Gustafson. Reading Level: 1.7
A host of animals from A to Z come to Otter’s housewarming party, bringing a wide variety of foods for his alphabetical soup.
ALP Hag
Alphabears : an ABC book / by Kathleen Hague. Reading Level: 3.9
Introduces a bear for each letter of the alphabet and describes its special qualities in rhyme.
ALP Hau
A to Z, do you ever feel like me? : a guessing alphabet of feelings, words, and other cool stuff / text by Bonnie Hausman.
Reading Level: 3.4
For each letter of the alphabet, presents an emotion, a situation in which the reader might feel that emotion, and objects beginning with the same letter.
ALP Hor
A is for– ? : a photographer’s alphabet of animals / Henry Horenstein. Interest Level: K-3
“Gulliver books.” With the letters of the alphabet as clues, readers are challenged to guess the identity of the animals pictured in the photographs.
Kirkus Review (1999)
This clever alphabet book invites viewers to discover the animal–one for each letter of the alphabet–that Horenstein has captured in an intriguing tinted black-and-white photograph. It is no easy task, as often, only one part of the animal in question appears: a fin, tail, horn, eye. To add to the challenge, the link between the animal’s name and the letter of the alphabet under discussion is not always apparent, e.g., the ox for X. The photographs have a soft and somewhat old-fashioned look, and encourage repeat viewings. A fuller shot of every animal as well as information on photography appears in the back, where Horenstein also explains that he took 7,000 photos to find the 57 used in the book.
ALP How
ABCDrive! : a car trip alphabet / by Naomi Howland. Reading Level: 1.5
A car trip provides the opportunity to see or experience things for every letter of the alphabet, from “ambulance” to “zoom.”
Horn Book (September, 1994)
As a boy and his mother travel through San Francisco in a bright red station wagon, they glimpse an alphabet of vehicles, road signs, and other objects related to driving. The colorful, but busy, illustrations, presented from a variety of perspectives; familiar and judiciously chosen words; and a popular topic will win many fans.
ALP Hub
C is for curious : an ABC of feelings ; 2 is for dancing : a 123 of actions / by Woodleigh Hubbard. Reading Level: 1.7
Two books in one. First, presents an alphabet of emotions, from angry to zealous; second, is a counting book introducing different types of actions, from one unicorn dreaming to ten dogs riding a bicycle.
ALP Joh
Harold’s ABC / story and pictures by Crockett Johnson. Reading Level: 2.6
“Another purple crayon adventure.” Harold takes a trip to the moon and comes home again simply by drawing his way through the letters of the alphabet with a purple crayon.
ALP Kal
What Pete ate from A-Z : where we explore the English alphabet (in its entirety) in which a certain dog devours a myriad of items which he should not / by Maira Kalman. Reading Level: 3.7
In this alphabet book, a child relates some of the unusual things eaten by Pete the dog, including an accordion, a lucky quarter, and Uncle Norman’s underpants.
Horn Book starred (March, 2002)
The unruly Kalman borrows the alphabet to structure–loosely–a catalog of outrageous items eaten by unruly dog Pete. Working his way through Cousin Rocky’s accordion, narrator Poppy’s doll, and even an occasional food item, Pete snacks in alphabetical order. While the letters are not used with enough consistency or visibility to help beginning sounding-outers, Kalman’s young fans will happily consume the alliterative mischief
ALP Kay
A you’re adorable / words and music by Buddy Kaye, Fred Wise, and Sidney Lippman Reading Level: 2.9
An assortment of children and pets climb over, under, and through the letters of the alphabet in this illustrated presentation of a familiar song.
Publishers Weekly (January 8, 1996)
A group of multiracial tots cavorts through the alphabet, illustrating the lyrics of the eponymous 1940s musical hit. Ages 3-up.
ALP Kir
Miss Spider’s ABC / paintings and verse by David Kirk. Reading Level: 1.5
Jumping junebugs, very vivid violets, entertaining earthworms, and other friends of Miss Spider gather to celebrate her birthday.
School Library Journal (December 1998)
PreS-Gr 1-Kirk turns his vibrant oil paints to a celebration of letters and bugs. Brightly colored insects work their way through the alphabet as they prepare a surprise birthday party for Miss Spider. Vocabulary such as “fireflies fandango” and “owlflies ogle” makes this offering less of a concept book or easy reader and more of an appreciation of the alphabet. The story will work one-on-one or in group settings with an adult to explain the more difficult phrases. The neon-bright, almost three-dimensional illustrations are detailed but not too cluttered. The text complements the paintings as the partygoers await the guest of honor, who arrives riding a zebra butterfly. Appealing to a younger audience than Miss Spider’s Tea Party (1994) and much gentler than Miss Spider’s Wedding (1995, both Scholastic), this book makes a child-friendly addition to the series.
ALP Kit
From acorn to zoo and everything in between in alphabetical order / Satoshi Kitamura. Reading Level: 2.2
“A Sunburst book.” An alphabet book in which the everyday and the unusual meet.
ALP Kre
Alaska ABC book / by Charlene Kreeger and Shannon Cartwright. Reading Level: 3.1
An alphabet book describing life in Alaska, from caribou and eskimos to the northern lights and zero
temperatures.
ALP Lio
The alphabet tree / Leo Lionni. Reading Level: 3.6
A strong wind blows most of the letters off the alphabet tree and those that remain hide among the branches. Then a bug and a caterpillar come along and teach them how to arrange themselves into words and sentences to form a special message.
Horn Book (Spring 2005)
In this deceptively simple fable, the letters of the alphabet live in a tree. They learn to form words, then a caterpillar suggests they make sentences–about something important. When they form PEACE ON EARTH AND GOODWILL TOWARD ALL MEN, the caterpillar decides to take them away–"to the President." It was a timely message in 1968 and still packs a punch.
ALP Lob
Alison’s zinnia / Anita Lobel. Reading Level: 3.5
Alison acquired an amaryllis for Beryl who bought a begonia for Crystal–and so on through the alphabet, as full-page illustrations are presented of each flower.
Horn Book starred (February, 1991)
An alphabet book based on various flowers: “Alison acquired an Amaryllis for Beryl. Beryl bought a Begonia for Crystal.” The circular pattern ends with “Zena zeroed in on a Zinnia for Alison.” Exuberant color, loving renditions, and a lively context make this a book to brighten the dreariest of days.
ALP Mac
Alphabatics / Suse MacDonald. Reading Level: 1.1
The letters of the alphabet are transformed and incorporated into twenty-six illustrations, so that the hole in “b” becomes a balloon and “y” turns into the head of a yak.
Publishers Weekly (August 24, 1992)
Each letter metamorphoses into an object in this inventive Caldecott Honor book, which uses bold, splashy artwork in its topsy-turvy teaching. Ages 3-6.
ALP Mag
All aboard ABC / Doug Magee and Robert Newman. Reading Level: 2.5
An alphabet book introducing the world of trains.
ALP Mar
From Anne to Zach / Mary Jane Martin. Reading Level: 1.3
Watercolor illustrations accompany this rhyming alphabet book.
Horn Book (March, 1997)
This alphabet book of children’s names features bright, textured watercolors. A rhyming verse introduces each letter and matches it with a name: “G my name is Ginny. H my name is Hugh. I my name’s Irene. I can jump to 62. Can you?” White backgrounds frame many of the illustrations, but the strong design cannot salvage the uneven, singsong text.
ALP Mir
Pignic / Anne Miranda. Reading Level: 1.9
“An alphabet book in rhyme”–Cover. Pigs gather for their annual picnic, bringing items that begin with different letters of the alphabet
ALP Mur
The Alphabet Keeper / Mary Murphy. Reading Level: 2.3
“Originally published in Great Britain as The flyaway alphabet by Egmont Books in 2002″–P. facing t.p. The Alphabet Keeper keeps all the letters caged in the dark, but one day they escape and use clever word play to outwit the keeper.
Horn Book (Fall 2003)
Twenty-six once-caged letters elude their matronly keeper by forming words. The surreal set-up may put off some and the wordplay will be too obscure for the non-reader and too easy for the more accomplished, but this could well hit the spot with newly independent readers, especially those with a perverse streak. The art, with its monochromatic colors and heavy black holding lines, suits the story’s mood.
ALP Mus
Ashanti to Zulu : African traditions / Margaret Musgrove. Reading Level: 5.3
Explains some traditions and customs of twenty-six African tribes beginning with letters from A to Z.
ALP Ony
A is for Africa / Ifeoma Onyefulu. Reading Level: 4.7
The author, a member of the Igbo tribe in Nigeria, presents text and her own photographs of twenty-six things, from A to Z, representative of all African peoples.
Publishers Weekly (June 23, 1997)
”Beautifully composed” color photographs provide “an incisive, sophisticated view of Nigeria’s rich heritage,” said PW. Ages 3-8.
ALP Pal
The boat alphabet book / by Jerry Pallotta. Reading Level: 4.2
An alphabet book presenting unusual facts about a variety of boats from aircraft carriers to zodiacs.
ALP Pal
The icky bug alphabet book / by Jerry Pallotta. Reading Level: 4.9
Introduces the characteristics and activities of insects and other crawly creatures from A to Z, beginning with the ant and concluding with the zebra butterfly.
ALP Pan
Animal action ABC / Karen Pandell, Art Wolfe. Reading Level: 3.6
Cover title.;On board pages. Photographs and easy, rhyming text provide facts about animals and their movements for each letter of the alphabet, from the arch of a humpback whale’s tail to the zapping tongue of a chameleon.
Publishers Weekly (May 26, 2003)
In an oversize board book format, Animal Action ABC by Karen Pandell pairs photos of active wild animals, by Arte Wolfe, with photos of children imitating the animals’ movements, by Nancy Sheehan. “Kick like a kangaroo,” for example, places two kicking children next to a larger photo of similarly engaged kangaroos. The rhyming text explains a bit more about each animal’s behavior. Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information.
ALP Pom
Wildflower ABC : an alphabet of potato prints / Diana Pomeroy. Reading Level: 1.7
Includes bibliographical references (p. 30). Presents potato-print illustrations for wildflowers for every letter of the alphabet, with all sorts of information about each flower.
ALP Ran
The handmade alphabet / Laura Rankin. Interest Level: 3-6
Presents the handshape for each letter of the American manual alphabet accompanied by an object whose name begins with that letter.
Horn Book starred (March, 1992)
Luminous, realistically rendered colored-pencil drawings illustrate the hand shapes for the letters of the manual alphabet, used by the hearing impaired as a part of American Sign Language. Each drawing incorporates objects or actions while clearly picturing the correct position of the fingers and hands to make each sign. An elegant, imaginative alphabet book.
ALP Ric
Texas alphabet / by James Rice. Reading Level: 3.5
Introduces words and names, from A to Z, significant to Texas history, beginning with Austin and concluding with Lorenzo De Zavala.
ALP Ros
Into the A, B, sea : an ocean alphabet / by Deborah Lee Rose. Reading Level: 1.4
An alphabet book featuring twenty-six animals found in the ocean and including endnotes giving additional details about each of these sea creatures.
Horn Book (Fall, 2001)
Rhyming couplets list a variety of animals that make their home in the sea, “where Anemones sting / and Barnacles cling.” The alphabet motif is more subtle here than in most alphabet books, but what steals the show are the beautiful, uncomplicated cut-paper collages, which employ an astonishing array of appropriately textured papers. Notes at the end expand on the animals pictured in the book.
ALP San
The butterfly alphabet / Kjell B. Sandved.. Reading Level: 5.5
Close-up photographs reveal the alphabet written on the delicate wings of butterflies and moths, with playful and fanciful verse as a guide to the delights of the natural world.
Publishers Weekly (July 5, 1999)
Magnified photos reveal letters and numbers among the patterns on butterflies’ and moths’ wings; in a starred review, PW called the work “a treasure for photography buffs and aspiring lepidopterists of all ages.” Ages 4-8.
ALP Sch
Autumn : an alphabet acrostic / by Steven Schnur. Reading Level: 3.2
Describes the autumn season, with its animals, rain, cold winds, and harvested food. When read vertically, the first letters of the lines of text spell related words arranged alphabetically, from “acorn” to “zero.”
Horn Book (March, 1998)
An alphabetical listing of autumn’s sights, sounds, and emotions is recorded in brief blocks of text; read vertically, the first letter of each line spells out the seasonal word being described, such as pumpkin, quiet, and snow. The evocative prose captures the season’s appeal, as do the vivid, colorful block-print illustrations.
ALP Sen
Alligators all around : an alphabet / by Maurice Sendak. Reading Level: 2.6
The letters of the alphabet are introduced by alligators engaged in a variety of activities.
ALP Seu
Dr. Seuss’s ABC. Reading Level: 3.0
An alphabet book filled with funny creatures.
ALP Tho
The wildlife ABC & 123 : a nature alphabet & counting book / Jan Thornhill. Reading Level: 4.2
Wildlife ABC — Wildlife 123. Collects an alphabet book and a counting book featuring illustrations of animals.
Publishers Weekly (September 13, 2004)
Two Jan Thornhill primers published in the late 1980s unite in the paper-over-board The Wildlife ABC & 123: A Nature Alphabet & Counting Book. Her iconic portraits combine with rhyming couplets in the first, and the numeral plus a brief description for the latter (the “Queen Bee” illustration for “Q” features a honeycomb border that details a bee’s larval development). The counting portion ultimately leaps up to 1,000 tadpoles. PW said, “Her flamboyant drawings have the bold vibrancy of woodcuts.”
ALP Try
Albert’s alphabet / by Leslie Tryon. Reading Level: 1.6
Clever Albert uses all the supplies in his workshop to build an alphabet for the school playground.
ALP Wal
So many bunnies : a bedtime abc and counting book / Rick Walton. Reading Level: 1.5
Old Mother Rabbit’s twenty-six children, each named for a letter of the alphabet, are lovingly put to bed.
Horn Book (September, 1998)
Old Mother Rabbit puts her twenty-six alphabetically named bunnies to bed in rhyming verse, beginning with “1 was named Abel. He slept on the table.” Trying to cover rhyming, numbers, and letters all at once, the book ends up feeling forced and overly long by the end. Despite plenty of details, the pen-and-ink and watercolor illustrations are sentimental.
ALP Wat
Applebet : an ABC / Clyde Watson. Reading Level: 3.5
“A Sunburst book.” Short verses introduce scenes from a fair in which letters of the alphabet figure prominently.
Publishers Weekly (August 28, 1987)
Colorful pictures of bucolic life illustrate the bouncy verses that are woven into this alphabet story. Ages 3-up.
