Children's Books discussion

In October, we will explore alphabet books. If you would like to help select the books we will read as a group, please choose your five choices from our official nominations list (below) and post your choices in a comment. Votes will be accepted until September 23rd. Thank you!

After discovering Neil Gaiman in his new book The Ocean at the End of the Lane, I went onto Amazon to see what else he'd written. I found many children's books, one of them being The Dangerous Alphabet. It's a piratical ghost story in 13 rhyming couplets. Great illustrations by Gris Grimly. So since I still have this one on my desk, I will nominate it until I can do a search on my shelves for other alphabet books.

by Chris Van Allsburg

byGraeme Base

by Nat Iwata

Throw out a name or word and there will be an alphabet book about it! I guess that's good for children with varied interests. Anyway, here are some books I've used or have on my shelf:

Ape in a Cape: An Alphabet of Odd Animals
I Spy: An Alphabet in Art
"A" Is for Angry: An Animal and Adjective Alphabet
LMNO Peas
Jambo Means Hello: Swahili Alphabet Book
The Disappearing Alphabet
H Is for Home Run: A Baseball
Alligators All Around

Forgot one I like:

G Is for Googol: A Math Alphabet Book

Lii Yiiboo Nayaapiwak lii Swer: L'alfabet di Michif / Owls See Clearly at Night: A Michif Alphabet (6+)

Gathering the Sun: An Alphabet In Spanish And English (4+)

The Queen's Progress: An Elizabethan Alphabet (6+)

Country Road ABC: An Illustrated Journey Through America's Farmland (4+)

A is for Algonquin: An Ontario Alphabet (6+)

Jousting with Jesters: An ABC for the Younger Dragon (6+)

Z is for Zombie (6+)

M Is for Maple: A Canadian Alphabet (6+)

Appaloosa Zebra: A Horse Lover's Alphabet (3+)

Many Nations: An Alphabet of Native America (7+)

When Royals Wore Ruffles: A Funny and Fashionable Alphabet! (5+)

L Is For Land Of Living Skies: A Saskatchewan Alphabet (6+)

The Other Colors: An ABC Book (5+)

Gulf Islands Alphabet (5+)

The Absolutely Awful Alphabet (4+)

The Living Rain Forest: An Animal Alphabet (4+)

Gone Forever: An Alphabet of Extinct Animals (6+)

The Icky Bug Alphabet Book (5+)

Peanut Butter and Jellyfishes: A Very Silly Alphabet Book (4+)

The Undesirables (5+)

A Big City ABC (4+)

ABC x 3 English, Espanol, Francais (3+)

Ogres! Ogres! Ogres!: A Feasting Frenzy from A to Z (5+)

A Pioneer ABC (5+)

All ages are approximate and taken mostly form Amazon.

One of my childhood favorites: A is for Annabelle by Tasha Tudor

Another one I enjoyed, Into The A, B, Sea: An Ocean Alphabet Book (this one is good for older kids; there is a good variety of sea creatures featured with additional information about them in the back)

Kathryn wrote: "One of my childhood favorites: A is for Annabelle by Tasha Tudor"

Yes, definitely! And I know right where my copy is!

Alligators All Around
Museum ABC
AlphaOops!: The Day Z Went First (my maiden name started with a Z and I often got tired or lining up last, too!)
"A" Isn't for Fox: An Isn't Alphabet Nothing makes my daughter laugh more than when I get things wrong.
The Alphabet Room
Those are my votes!

M IS FOR MISCHIEF: An A to Z of Naughty Children

G is for Goat

"A" is for Aloha

There's a whole series of Alphabet books for each state in the United States (see list here), but for the purposes of this group, the best one of the series would likely be A is for America

P Is for Pilgrim: A Thanksgiving Alphabet

D Is for Dinosaur: A Prehistoric Alphabet

Ashanti to Zulu: African Traditions

"A" is for Abigail: An Almanac of Amazing American Women (perhaps a bit long)

The Freshwater Alphabet Book

The Furry Animal Alphabet Book

The Yucky Reptile Alphabet Book

The Beetle Alphabet Book
(Jerry Pallotta wrote these last four books, so between these and The Icky Bug Alphabet Book, which was already nominated, I highly recommend we pick one of his books)

I'm surprised no one has mentioned Chicka Chicka Boom Boom yet...

Here are a few with lovely illustrations:
A Gardener's Alphabet
My Beastie Book of ABC
New Alphabet Of Animals
Also, for those who want to look at more alphabet books, here are two blog posts listing a lot more:
http://readaloudsforallchildren.wordp...
http://nydamprintsblackandwhite.blogs...

I am rather fond of Matthew A.B.C.. It is rather gross though at times. We recently recieved My Foodie ABC: A Little Gourmet's Guide which is kind of fun.

I was thinking that one of the recent construction books had a hidden alphabet in the illustrations. We don't have a copy of Goodnight, Goodnight Construction Site on hand for me to check. The only one I see that has rather obvious letters in the illustrations is Alphabet Trucks.
The book I was thinking about is Bang! Boom! Roar! A Busy Crew of Dinosaurs. We just got it in!

Some favorites from my ABC list!

ABC A Child's First Alphabet Book

E-mergency

Alphabet City

Alphabet Under Construction

Calavera Abecedario

Z is For Moose

African Animal Alphabet

My Alphabetby Carole Stevens Bibisi is a wonderful and colorful book for young children. The Alphabet is told by a black cat and is a favorite of my three year old grandson.

Here's one that earned a Caldecott Honor: The Graphic Alphabet

A Is for Musk Ox is quite silly.

I nominate the stunning The Amazing Animal Alphabet of Twenty-Six Tongue Twisters by Robert Pizzo, just published last month.

Another older Caldecott Honor book to consider is Alphabatics.

This book came recommended from another book I'm reading: Z is for Zeus: A Greek Mythology Alphabet; it's too bad our library doesn't have it...

This is a beautiful book!!! My four year old loves it (his name is Justice and of course he is "J"...GREAT book!

There are so many lovely ones out there but a few of our favorites are:

A is for Salad

Dr. Seuss's ABCs

Z is for Moose

and

LMNO Peas

Can't wait to check out the recommendations of others!
Best,
Michelle

Thanks for the amazing nominations! This is going to be such a fun month. The voting period is now open until September 23rd. Please choose your top five picks and post them in a comment below. Thanks.

My votes:

"A" is for Abigail: An Almanac of Amazing American Women (this one seems to be a bit long and wordy, but I was hoping to find one that our girls wouldn't consider too babyish.)

Animalia

The Z Was Zapped

The Freshwater Alphabet Book (or another alphabet book by Jerry Pallotta)

The Graphic Alphabet

Lii Yiiboo Nayaapiwak lii Swer: L'alfabet di Michif / Owls See Clearly at Night: A Michif Alphabet

Gathering the Sun: An Alphabet In Spanish And English

The Queen's Progress: An Elizabethan Alphabet

Many Nations: An Alphabet of Native America

Jousting with Jesters: An ABC for the Younger Dragon

The Z Was Zapped

Animalia

Many Nations: An Alphabet of Native America

The Alphabet RoomThe Alphabet Room

Wild Card/Personal Pick : Any Jerry Pallotta ABC book.
http://www.goodreads.com/series/10036...

Many Nations: An Alphabet of Native America

Animalia

The Z Was Zapped

The Graphic Alphabet

The Queen's Progress: An Elizabethan Alphabet

Jenny wrote: "A Is for Musk Ox is quite silly."

We just read Musk Ox Counts and it was hilarious. We are definitely going to read A Is for Musk Ox very soon!

Animalia

The Z Was Zapped

Many Nations An Alphabet of Native America

The Queen's Progress An Elizibethan Alphabet

The Graphic Alphabet

Wild card: Z is for Moose

Thanks for the votes! Looks like we'll have a very interesting selection of alphabet books:

Animalia

The Z Was Zapped

The Graphic Alphabet

The Queen's Progress: An Elizabethan Alphabet

Many Nations: An Alphabet of Native America

Sixth/Alternate:
The Bird Alphabet Book by Jerry Pallotta (this is the wild-card for Pallotta because it's one that is at my library!)

This thread now becomes the Master List and General Discussion for Alphabet Books. Please feel welcome to post reviews here for books not selected as our top six, or additional books to add to the list!

Our oldest just brought home the book A Zeal of Zebras: An Alphabet of Collective Nouns from her elementary school library. I noticed that it wasn't mentioned here. We really liked it and it is yet another fun alphabet book for older children.

Thanks, Dolly! Love the title :-)

One of my favorite alphabet books for little ones (toddler, preschool) is Apple Pie ABC. Very simple and appealing, with an adorable dog character.
The companion book to this is: One Two That's My Shoe!.

Oh, those do look adorable.

Beverly wrote: "One of my favorite alphabet books for little ones (toddler, preschool) is Apple Pie ABC. Very simple and appealing, with an adorable dog character.
The companion book to this is: [..."

Adorable, indeed! I may have to check that out for my eight-month-old, even if he's a little "young" yet ;-)

He's eight months already?! Gosh time flies.

ABC der Tiere (this is in German, and I will say that the text is definitely superior and much more fun and poetic than the English translation, Celestino Piatti's Animal ABC although the illustrations are the same)

(view spoiler)[Yes indeed, Celestino Piatti's presented artwork for ABC der Tiere (which is basically an animal based abecedarian) is absolutely aesthetically spectacular, with each and every picture (generally one depicted animal species for every letter of the alphabet, from A to Z, and accompanied by Hans Schumacher's poetry) showing itself as both colourful and delightfully naively realistic. And furthermore, the artwork for ABC der Tiere, it also demonstrates that Celestino Piatti is not only a talented artist but that his illustrations for ABC der Tiere are equally delightfully visually suitable for even very young or very sensitive children, since most definitely, even pictures of potentially fierce predators such as lions and tigers are rendered by Piatti in ABC der Tiere as realistically but also without horror or gruesomeness, and thus of course and fortunately equally never frighteningly.

And with regard to Hans Schumacher's German language poetry for ABC der Tiere (and as they accompany Celestino Piatti's illustrations), his featured verses, they are ALL of them, ALL twenty-six of them engaging, humour-filled and totally, wonderfully replete with both flights of fancy and realistically authentic animal species specific factual information, creating with ABC der Tiere a wonderful and pretty much spectacular marriage and combination of Celestino Piatti’s lively and colourful illustrations and Hans Schumacher's verbally descriptive and often also laugh out loud funny poems, but with the one and only caveat from me being that because the poems for ABC der Tiere are penned entirely in German (and do occasionally also show quite a sophisticated level of vocabulary and syntax choices), a decent, at least high intermediate level of German language fluency is (at least in my humble opinion) most definitely strongly recommended if not even required.

But no, I also do not and would not really ever recommend the English language edition, except of course for Celestino Piatti's superbly incomparable artwork. Because frustratingly and sadly, for Celestino Piatti's Animal ABC, Jon Reid's pretty annoyingly substandard English language adaptations of Hans Schumacher's original German verses flow majorly awkwardly and also retain ABSOLUTELY NONE of Schumacher's oh so delightful humour. (hide spoiler)]

Spring: An Alphabet Acrostic

(view spoiler)[Although yes, a good many of Steven Schnur's presented acrostic poems do generally and descriptively portray and sometimes downright glorify springtime with much verbal beauty, grace and joyfulness, I still have to admit and honestly do very strongly indeed believe that Schnur making his Spring: An Alphabet Acrostic entirely alphabetical in scope and nature has been rather too ambitious and is as such and in my humble opinion equally a bit potentially confusing and problematic for the intended age group (for children from about the age of five to nine or so). Because yes and certainly, while the majority of Steven Schnur's verses do of course more than adequately, more than sufficiently describe and depict spring and the temperature and environmental changes it tends to bring, there are also and sadly more than a few presented acrostic examples in Spring: An Alphabet Acrostic where one really does in my humble opinion need to somewhat to even majorly stretch one's belief, imagination and belief. I mean, why should hopscotch, quintuplets and xing somehow be quintessentially representative of spring as a season, and well, there are sadly rather far far too many such scenarios to be encountered in Spring: An Alphabet Acrostic.

And therefore, for me personally, NOT having Spring: An Alphabet Acrostic be conceptualised as an alphabet book and thus bien sûr requiring a specific example for every single letter of the same, yes, this would certainly make Steven Schnur's acrostics (and the short poems associated with them) be much more enjoyable, readable and not so often making readers and/or listeners shake their heads and be wondering if Spring: An Alphabet Acrostic is truly mostly about springtime. Because having some of the book's acrostics feel more like Steven Schnur has included them simply for the sake of them starting with the required letter of the alphabet just does not render Spring: An Alphabet Acrostic into picture book on spring that says "wow" or that is totally a textual celebration of springtime, and indeed, even Leslie Evans' delightful and colourfully spring like accompanying artwork is to and for me able to render Steven Schnur's text(s) more all encompassingly verbally appealing for me, (so that fofor me, and in my opinion, the combination of acrostics and images for Spring: An Alphabet Acrostic is and will always be at best only a rather low three stars and as such also somewhat lyrically disappointing). (hide spoiler)]

A Pioneer ABC

(view spoiler)[So yes, Mary Alice Downie’s A Pioneer ABC certainly is informative and also mildly entertaining. However and in my opinion, it is actually Mary Jane Gerber's lushly descriptive accompanying illustrations, combined with word search activities and detailed supplemental information about pioneer life in what is now Canada, as well as the history of the United Empire Loyalists that are A Pioneer ABC's strongest assets. For while Mary Alice Downie's presented narrative for A Pioneer ABC is generally more than informationally adequate, it is also and by no means spectacular (and I personally do think that it might have worked better, had Downie tried to make her text at least somewhat poetic in nature, because as it appears now, it does feel rather unfinished, even a bit choppy and uneven). And truth be told, it would also have been of much teaching and learning benefit, had the author, had Mary Alice Downie made more than just a shore, cursory mention of Canada's First Nations in A Pioneer ABC (the only referral is under the letter "I" where visiting "Indians" teach the Loyalist pioneers how to ice-fish, but in actual fact, First Nations individuals not only aided Loyalist pioneers with logistics and advice, but actually often prevented many of them from starvation and from harvesting and consuming poisonous plants and mushrooms).

Now I would still highly recommend A Pioneer ABC as a good, basic alphabet book for young children (and the historical information presented certainly is interesting and well-researched, showing both the many joys and struggles of pioneer life). However, if I were reading this book with or to a child or a group of children, I would most definitely much expand the scope of A Pioneer ABC by in particular also discussing Canada's First Nations and their contacts, dealings and problems with pioneers, with settlers, including the United Empire Loyalists. (hide spoiler)]

Jambo Means Hello: Swahili Alphabet Book

(view spoiler)[While Muriel and Tom Feelings' Jambo Means Hello: Swahili Alphabet Book is of course presented and appears in a traditional abcedarian format (but minus the letters Q and X, as they do not exist in the Swahili language), this is most definitely NOT a book meant to be used with and for young children first learning and practicing their letters, as no, Yambo Means Hello: Swahili Alphabet Book seems to be first and foremost conceptialised to introduce children, and not really toddlers either, to twenty-four Swahili words (for the most part various nouns and a few common expressions which are also presented with an appreciated pronunciation guide, as well as relevant cultural information and details, such as the roles played by mothers, fathers and children, the importance of respect for ones' elders, farming practices and so on and so on).

And while for the most part, I have indeed very much enjoyed the cultural information author Muriel Feelings presents and features, as someone who has always been very much interested in and intrigued by the various and different languages of the world, I really do wish that since in the introduction, the author makes a point of declaring that Jambo Means Hello: Swahili Alphabet Book is meant to introduce Swahili words in particular, is meant to introduce Swahili as a language, as probably the most common and widespread language of Africa, that at least one part of the information shown in the different letter sections, on the specific and individual words, had been about their various linguistic backgrounds, had been with regard to the specifics of the Swahili language as a linguistic construct. And sadly and indeed, not really ever having this included, this does at least for me kind of lessen the language teaching and learning potential of Jambo Means Hello: Swahili Alphabet Book, as the words uttered and used in a given language have both cultural and language-based grammatical, syntax and the like significance, and both are (at least in my opinion) of equal and the same importance (for example, the Swahili word shown in Jambo Means Hello: Swahili Alphabet Book for school, shule, is both pronounced and spelled almost exactly like the German word for school, Schule and it indeed would have been a wonderful linguistic addition for the author, for Muriel Feelings to have investigated and shown if there are indeed linguistic and perhaps historic correspondences here).

And finally, while I have both appreciated and definitely much enjoyed the detailed and informative author's introduction of Jambo Means Hello: Swahili Alphabet Book, there are nevertheless two rather problematic and yes much annoying bones of contention for me. Firstly, Muriel Feelings absolutely should have included a bibliographical list of books for further reading and study, both on East African culture AND on Swahili as a language (perhaps even a few detailed grammar and syntax tomes for those of us interested in how Swahili actually works as a language, what its grammatical rules are and such). And secondly (and here I am in fact somewhat majorly personally annoyed and frustrated), why does the author, why does Muriel Feelings make the claim that Jambo Means Hello: Swahili Alphabet Book is primarily for children of African ancestry to discover the Swahili language? Nothing wrong with this in and of itself, I guess, but discovering and studying global languages, including the diverse languages of Africa, is something for EVERYONE AND ANYONE, and for the author to categorically make a statement, to pontificate that Jambo Means Hello: Swahili Alphabet Book should mostly be for children of African origin and ancestry, well, as someone who loves languages and is interested in diversity, culture and promoting the learning of as many different world languages as possible, I for one, have felt rather taken aback if not even a bit insulted.

Now with regard to Tom Feelings accompanying Caldecott Honour winning illustrations, while they are truly and indeed expressive and detailed (and give an appreciated realistically imaginative visual portrait and representation of East African culture), I do wish that the colour schemes used had not just been various shades of blacks, whites and browns (that they had also included reds, yellows, greens and blues). For while I have been both willing and very much able to appreciate and even rather enjoy the illustrations (and have truly found the information on how Tom Feelings' art was created of much interest), for my own aesthetic tastes (for my own eyes), there is simply not enough colour and thus not enough liveliness and brightness to consider Feelings' pictorial renderings as in any way personal favourites (although I do agree that they are adept, descriptively bold and provide a both adequate and even lovely complement to Muriel Feelings' verbal descriptions and explanations of the twenty-four Swahili words presented in Jambo Means Hello: Swahili Alphabet Book). (hide spoiler)]

Gathering the Sun: An Alphabet In Spanish And English

(view spoiler)[A wonderful collection of simple, yet always tenderly evocative poems, one for every letter of the Spanish alphabet, Alma Flor Ada's amazing dual-language, lushly and brilliantly illustrated alphabet book not only captures the sun, the meadows, the fields of Mexico and the Southern United States, it is also an important and heartfelt homage to migrant farm workers, to people like César Chavez (to whom Gathering the Sun is dedicated), to those individuals who work hard (who must work hard) in the fields so that we can buy and enjoy fresh produce at reasonable and affordable prices. The poetical text selections of Gathering the Sun are straightforward, effortless and delightfully uncluttered, but also always rich, full of flavour and a myriad of nuances, textually capturing the sights, sounds, the tastes of water, tomatoes, beets, showing what farming, what the life of a farm worker is, or can be. Neither too elementary nor too complex, Gathering the Sun is a true reading pleasure and treasure that can be (and should be) appreciated by both children and adults, and would indeed be a wonderful and versatile teaching and learning tool in beginning level (and even basic intermediate) Spanish language classes. Highly recommended in almost every way imaginable and if I could give Gathering the Sun more than five stars, I most definitely would! (hide spoiler)]

A Prairie Alphabet

(view spoiler)[Specific to the farming areas of Southern Saskatchewan (and with accompanying illustrations by Yvette Moore that are gloriously detailed, minutely descriptive and basically like detailed folk art paintings), Jo Bannatyne-Cugnet's A Prairie Alphabet is both informative, enlightening and also still very much focuses on older children from about age six to eight actually learning and practicing their letters (both majuscule and minuscule letters are shown, and the twenty-six alphabet sections not only present specific farm/prairie oriented textual blurbs, most of the descriptive words used are alliterative, which means that they begin with the featured letter). And thus, for the letter B, two Belgians named Bill and Bob bed in the barn, and for the letter M, a mouse munches a meal of millet by moonlight (and so on and so on, of course). In other words, A Prairie Alphabet is to be regarded as an actual alphabet book and NOT so much as a tome that uses the form and structure of the latter but does then not really spend too much time actually presenting and working with the letters of the alphabet (A Prairie Alphabet specifically features Saskatchewan prairie farming, but also very much focuses on letter and language practice, review).

Each of the twenty-six letter narratives are short but factually dense (and the alliterative use of the specific letters really does seem to work well with regard to familiarising and practising the alphabet, whilst also showing an informative romp through Saskatchewan, the prairies and farming culture, which information might also be further expanded upon by reading/using the supplemental details on each blurb presented at the back of A Prairie Alphabet). And for additional practice, Jo Bannatyne-Cugnet has also included a page of additional words for each of the letter sections (not only wonderful for additional language arts practicing, but ALL of the words are indeed related and thematically linked to and with the prairie/farming texts found the main section). Very highly recommended, and considering that the farming areas of Southern Saskatchewan are also rather similar in scope, geography and all-round feel to the farming areas of Southern Alberta, Southern Manitoba as well as the American Mid-West, A Prairie Alphabet could also be used as a language and letter based general introduction to North American prairie farming and life! (hide spoiler)]

ABC Acadie: An Acadian Alphabet

(view spoiler)[A delightful and informative abecedarian on the Acadians (but indeed and actually, not really in any way a book for children learning their letters but rather a general lesson on Acadian history and culture in the guise of an alphabet book) Mary Alice Downie's ABC Acadie: An Acadian Alphabet presents L'Acadie as it was (how the settlers cleared the land, their farming practices, especially their use of dikes, their close-knit communities, their usually friendly associations with the M'ikmaq). But of course ABC Acadie: An Acadian Alphabet also (and yes very much necessarily) shows the 18th century forced removal of the Acadians from what is now the Canadian Maritimes, their expulsion en masse by the British (to places like Louisiana and where the main storyline of ABC Acadie: An Acadian Alphabet actually takes place, as it is basically conceptualised as a remembrance by the displaced Acadians of their lost homeland, of their culture and of their lives prior to Le Grand Dérangement).

Readable, educational and with much (appreciated) supplemental information at the back, ABC Acadie: An Acadian Alphabet is in my opinion a very good and useful general introduction to the Acadians for young readers (with Ann LeBlanc's colourful fabric like accompanying illustrations providing an expressive mirror to and for Mary Alice Downie's informative text), although personally, I do very much wish that ABC Acadie: An Acadian Alphabet also featured considerably more details on the Acadian Expulsion and that Mary Alice Downie were also more critical and condemning towards the British, and especially towards governor Charles Lawrence (the intolerant bigot who ordered the expulsion and whose name and shame should in my opinion at least have been mentioned in ABC Acadie: An Acadian Alphabet in no uncertain terms). (hide spoiler)]

A Is for Musk Ox

(view spoiler)[Well and truth be told, whilst I have definitely found Erin Cabatingan’s A is for Musk Ox very much fun, as well as chatty and delightfully engaging, for my own reading tastes, A is for Musk Ox is also more than a bit too inherently silly and with too much frustratingly repetitive humour.

But this having been said, yes, I do equally believe that the intended audience and that especially boys from about the age of five to nine would likely completely be in absolute love with the funny and quirky musk ox and his humorous assertions as to why almost every single letter section in A is for Musk Ox should supposedly be for him, should be for musk ox, even if I personally would definitely find it majorly repetitive and as such also somewhat yawn-inducing if I had to read A is for Musk Ox more than once or twice.

For while I have certainly appreciated how the musk ox explains to Joseph the zebra that he is tired of always being stuck in the letter M position (and how, for example, when one looks at the letter A, musk oxen are awesome and live in Alaska), it does at least to and for me become a trifle monotonous that this same scenario and resulting humour keeps being regurgitated almost ad nauseam (funny, yes, but the repetitiveness of A is for Musk Ox also tends to feel a bit like slapstick humour, and I for one have never all that much enjoyed slapstick humour).

Therefore, three stars for A is for Musk Ox, for a generally engaging and entertainingly enjoyable enough combination of Erin Cabatingan’s text and Matthew Myers’ bright and expressively colourful accompanying artwork (but still, not yet four stars, as on a personal reading pleasure level, I do indeed find the author’s printed words somewhat one-sided and trying a trifle too hard to be funny). (hide spoiler)]

M is for Money: An Economics Alphabet

(view spoiler)[With fun and engaging, snappy rhymes, Michael and Debbie Shoulders’ M is for Money: An Economics Alphabet is really only an alphabet book in name, as the format chosen is for all intents and purposes just utilised to present relevant information and details about basic and not so basic economics and finance in the guise, in the costume of the former. Therefore, the alphabet book type and style are in this case not really in any way meant for children to learn and practice their letters, but to present, to elaborate on the main, the essential elements of basic financial literacy in a fun, playful, but at the same time informative manner and fashion. Younger children (from about the age of five to nine, as the themes, the financial details featured in M is for Money: An Economics Alphabet are definitely and in my opinion a bit too advanced for toddlers) will probably most enjoy the generally fun, flowing and often rollicking rhymes of each of the twenty-six "letters" (experiencing, joining in poetic fun and games whilst also learning the basic tenets of finance, economics, money), but older children, even perhaps up to young teenagers will likely get more enjoyment and much essential learning from the detailed supplemental explanations that accompany each of the different letter specific rhymes. But personally, I do very much appreciate the fact that while the individual poetry offerings of M is for Money: An Economics Alphabet are by nature and necessity simple and short, they also ALWAYS feature a more than adequate amount relevant financial information (not as much as the supplemental explanations, of course, but that is what supplemental information is meant to be, additional, generally increasingly complex details and explanations). And another and for me rather majorly important advantage of M is for Money: An Economics Alphabet is that unlike with many informational alphabet books, the supplemental details actually accompany the alphabet, letter rhymes and are not relegated to the back of the book as an appendix (and if only authors Michael and Debbie Shoulders had also included a bibliography with suggestions for further reading and research, I would have been perfectly happy with the text, with the narrative, with the information featured and described). As to Marty Kelley's bright and lively accompanying illustrations, while they do for the most part work well enough and in tandem with the authors’ written text, with Michael and Debbie Shoulders' fun and engaging verses, I really cannot and will not consider them as all that much to my personal taste (they are far too cartoon-like for me, and especially the facial expressions depicted often seem overly exaggerated, with widely gaping, smiling countenances that seem unnatural, even potentially creepy). And while I do much appreciate the easy and yes, natural multi-ethnic feel of Kelley's illustrations, I simply do not like them all that much as pictures in and of themselves, and this to such an extent that they at times did and do prove a trifle distracting (taking my attention away from the narrative to such an extent that while I do highly recommend M is for Money: An Economics Alphabet, I can and will only consider three stars). (hide spoiler)]

Ashanti to Zulu: African Traditions

(view spoiler)[Both the presented facts (author Margaret Musgrove's featured text) and the accompanying illustrations are engaging, educational, and really, quite amazing actually (it is indeed no wonder that Ashanti to Zulu won the Caldecott Medal, as Leo and Diane Dillon's pictorial renditions are not only simply glowingly gorgeous and wonderful in every way, they also continuously both complement the author's narrative and often much expand on it, providing additional cultural details and information).

However, while Margaret Musgrove's printed words are indeed enlightening and always to the point, with much relevant detail presented in and by few relevant sentences, I do have to wonder and question whether Ashanti to Zulu would (or even could) ever be used as an actual alphabet book (as it seems to be more of a case of information on African tribes in the costume of an alphabet book, that the alphabet aspect of the book is but a method for relaying cultural and historical nuggets of knowledge). And because of the latter, because of the fact that at least in my opinion, Ashanti to Zulu is more an introduction to African culture and traditions than a book of letters for language, for vocabulary and word usage practice, I personally do consider the lack of any bibliographical information with suggestions for supplemental readings a very much and serious academic shortcoming for this otherwise excellent offering and actually rather limiting especially the supplemental learning and research value of Ashanti to Zulu (for I do not know about other readers, but the twenty-six described African tribes, one for every letter of the alphabet, has just whetted my curiosity and appetite for more information, and it is more than a little frustrating that author Margaret Musgrove has not provided a manner of achieving this, has not provided suggestions for further study and research to and for her readers). (hide spoiler)]

Discovering Words

(view spoiler)[Similar in both construction and style to its companion book Discovering Numbers, Discovering Words is also and equally simple and basic, but indeed and in fact absolutely and utterly brilliant in and with its very simplicity (a triple-language primary level alphabet board book in English, French and Cree for young children just learning their letters). Now the expressively descriptive and impressive accompanying pictures (with of course one illustrative spread for each letter of the alphabet) by Canadian Cree author/illustrator Neepin Auger (who is the daughter of renowned First Nations artist Dale Auger) are bright, simple, uncluttered (and appreciatively Auger with Discovering Words also strives to use as many objects and images as possible that have cultural sigificance to and for First Nations children, such as a canoe for the letter C, a drum for the letter D, moccasins for the letter M and so on and so on). And while personally (and once again similar to my reaction to Discovering Numbers) I most certainly would have liked and even perhaps needed a pronunciation key for especially the presented and shown Cree words (as well as perhaps a bit of supplemental information on the Cree language and Cree culture) this truly is just my scholarly self talking and really above and beyond the scope and concept of Discovering Words (since it really is supposed to be first and foremost simply just a triple language basic alphabet book for young children). Very highly recommended, and yes, in almost every way, Discovering Numbers presents a truly and wonderfully perfect first book of letters for the very young (and perhaps even for anyone interested in a simple and brightly illustrated introduction to twenty-six English, Cree and French nouns). (hide spoiler)]

Country Road Abc: An Illustrated Journey Through America's Farmland

(view spoiler)[It is really and truly only because of the beauty and richness of the evocative accompanying illustrations that I am even considering rating Arthur Geisert's Country Roads ABC with three stars (and not two) as the text, as the featured letters of the alphabet sections are really and sadly very much annoyingly uninspiring, unimaginative and generally even pretty well tedious (and therefore do not at all adequately mirror the intricate detail of Geisert's accompanying pictures). I mean, there for example is a wonderful barn scene shown, with cats, calves, sacks of grain, and the text simply and indeed sadly uninspiringly states that "B is for barn cats" (true in general perhaps, but inadequately descriptive and completely lacking in any kind of imagination and poetic, narrative flow). And while author/illustrator Arthur Geisert does (appreciatively) include a considerably more detailed verbal description of each of his rural life illustrations at the back of Country Road ABC (as an aptly labelled farm glossary), I really cannot help but wonder why at least some of that interesting supplemental information could not have been included within the text proper, why it was not added to the individual alphabet sections. For this certainly would have rendered Arthur Geisert's printed words considerably less monotonous, and would also have made both illustrations and text much more in synch with one another.

And furthermore, and finally, in my opinion, Country Road ABC would probably and in fact even work best as a wordless picture book, and thus, I can and will really only recommend this book for the illustrations (and also of course for the glossary at the back of Country Road ABC), since yes, Arthur Geisert's individual alphabet areas, as his featured text, unfortunately, leaves more than a little to be desired. (hide spoiler)]

New Zealand ABCs: A Book About the People and Places of New Zealand

(view spoiler)[Although Holly Schroeder provides with her 2004 New Zealand ABCs: A Book About the People and Places of New Zealand a basic and decent enough abecedarian introduction to New Zealand (and with Claudia Wolf's artwork presenting a bright and colourfully expressive visual mirror, nothing aesthetically spectacular, to be sure, but certainly more than adequate), I do have to admit that the ONLY reason why my rating for New Zealand ABCs: A Book About the People and Places of New Zealand is three and not two stars is mostly because the parts appearing after the A to Z segment of New Zealand ABCs: A Book About the People and Places of New Zealand are truly delightful, with Schroeder textually featuring not only a New Zealand in Brief segment of relevant historical, cultural and political factoids, but also lists of both specific to New Zealand English and also Maori words and phrases, a glossary, an index and (very much appreciatively) a nicely up to date short bibliography of book titles (not post 2004, of course), as well as a website for further reading and study (and with this most definitely being in my humble opinion the best and also the most useful elements of New Zealand ABCs: A Book About the People and Places of New Zealand).

For yes and unfortunately, although the A to Z component of New Zealand ABCs: A Book About the People and Places of New Zealand has lots of interesting and enlightening New Zealand specific details being shown (and that I certainly enjoyed learning for example that geysers only appear in New Zealand, the USA and Iceland and that New Zealand's largest lake was formed by a huge and all encompassing volcanic eruption), sorry, but in particular what in New Zealand ABCs: A Book About the People and Places of New Zealand Holly Schroeder shows to her young readers/listeners regarding the Maori is often lacking, is weirdly euphemistic regarding how Britain and other European colonists approached the former and is sometimes even factually erroneous (that for instance the current Maori name for New Zealand, that Aotearoa was originally only what the Maori called the North Island and not both the North and the South Island), and not to mention that I do (personally speaking) find it majorly annoying to have Schroeder label the kiwi as a strange, as a weird bird and to only very cursively and as almost an afterthought point out in New Zealand ABCs: A Book About the People and Places of New Zealand that moas became extinct but not to also then mention that moas and other endemic New Zealand bird species became extinct due to overhunting, habit loss and also because of imported non native animal species like weasels, stoats, cats and dogs (and that there are many endemic to New Zealand animal species that are currently still endangered and sometimes critically so because of this). (hide spoiler)]

The ABC Bunny

(view spoiler)[So yes indeed, I really did very much (and with a smile on my face) enjoy Wanda Gág's 1933 The ABC Bunny and certainly do much appreciate how Gág's poetic and rollickingly joyful presented A to Z text works so incredibly well with her equally engaging and delightfully movement-based accompanying illustrations (as well as also and indeed very much importantly that while The ABC Bunny is of course a picture book from the early 1930s, it is in every way still totally suitable and relevant for sharing with young children today, and with no problematic issues, with no political incorrectness or datedness whatsoever to be found either), I do have say that in particular for reading The ABC Bunny aloud with or to children, I would definitely and strongly suggest the traditional paper format and not so much the Kindle edition I have just encountered.

For while thankfully, the Kindle version of The ABC Bunny has actually been rendered into a generally reader-friendly enough format (with Wanda Gág's written words not only bolded but also and appreciatively being presented as large enough for easy perusal) the accompanying drawings do sometimes appear as a bit too wishy-washy and blurry (and I believe that this is likely because Wanda Gág's book illustration artwork is generally black and white, which does seem to make a few of her smaller drawings with many details not all that visually expressive when rendered digitally). And thus, while I do in all ways highly recommend The ABC Bunny as a fun and engaging alphabet book (and indeed, also as a generally pretty decent introduction to twenty-six diverse English language words, both nouns and verbs, both adjectives and adverbs), the traditional paper picture book format for The ABC Bunny is in my opinion definitely to be preferred to the Kindle edition (even if for an e-book, the Kindle version of The ABC Bunny is actually and in fact pretty good). (hide spoiler)]