Alphabet City by Stephen T. Johnson

Summary: Grade 1 Up: Beginning with the A formed by a construction site's sawhorse and ending with the Z found in the angle of a fire escape, Johnson draws viewers' eyes to tiny details within everyday objects to find letters. In this wordless tour of sights from Times Square to the Brooklyn Bridge, he invites young and old alike to take a new look at familiar surroundings, discovering the alphabet without ever looking in a book or reading from a sign. Conceived in the tradition of Ann Jonas's work, especially The Thirteenth Clue (Greenwillow, 1992), Johnson's pastel, watercolor, gouache, and charcoal paintings are much more realistic than his illustrations for The Samurai's Daughter (Dial, 1992); in fact, they are almost photographic in appearance. Some of the images are both clever and incredibly clear, e.g., the E found in the sideways view of a traffic light. Others, such as the C in the rose window of a Gothic church, are more obscure. Nevertheless, all of the paintings are beautifully executed and exhibit a true sense of artistic vision. While parents or teachers might assume from the title that this is a traditional alphabet book, they should be encouraged to look at it as an art book. It's sure to inspire older children to venture out on their own walks to discover the alphabet in the familiar objects of their own hometowns. Nancy Menaldi-Scanlan, LaSalle Academy, Providence, RICopyright 1996 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

Notable Information: This is a fantastic mix of art, alphabet and wordless picture book! Best used with students already accustomed with the alphabet. Kids can play hide and go seek with the city of New York!

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The Disappearing Alphabet by Richard Wilbur

Summary: Grade 2-5-Each of these delightful poems, one for each letter of the alphabet, speculates on the disasters that would occur should that letter suddenly disappear. Wilbur is known primarily as a Pulitzer Prize-winning poet and former Poet Laureate of the United States, although some of his poems have been published in books for children, notably Opposites (1991), More Opposites (1991; o.p.), and Runaway Opposites (1995, all Harcourt). The poems presented here were first printed in The Atlantic Monthly magazine. A series of rhyming couplets of varying lengths, they range from the innocently whimsical to the cleverly sophisticated. Diaz uses computer-generated illustrations to add just the right touches to the verses; the images are lush and playful at the same time. This is not an alphabet book for youngsters just learning to read, although children would enjoy hearing it read aloud. More importantly, it invites older children to play with language as it engages their imagination. A winner that belongs in every library.Linda Greengrass, Bank Street College Library, New York City Copyright 1998 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Notable Information: This is a great mix between poetry, mystery, and the alphabet. A great pick for an advanced alphabet book in the intermediate grades.

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The Hidden Alphabet by Laura Vaccaro Seeger

Summary: PreSchool-Grade 2-From the black book jacket with cutout openings for each letter of the title to the vibrant, painterly strokes of yellow on the endpapers, Hidden Alphabet is a visual delight. A black mat frames an object on each page. When it is lifted, each of these objects becomes a significant part of the letter's negative space (e.g., two balloons form circles to make the openings in the letter "B"). This clever trick of changing viewers' perspective from foreground to background will keep readers turning the pages to see the other optical illusions this pictorial byplay produces. Because of the way they are formed, the letters are not always completely conventional in shape. This may challenge very young children to identify them, but readers of any age will enjoy seeing a mouse turn into an "M" made of cheese with a few tiny chunks nibbled out of it. Seeger's interesting word choices-arrowhead, inkblot, olive, partridge, quotation mark, yolk-and her sophisticated paintings make this a fascinating artistic experience as well as a learning opportunity.Laurie Edwards, West Shore School District, Camp Hill, PA Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Notable Information: I suggest using this book with children that are already accustomed to their letters. This book provides a unique twist on captivating the letters artistically, as well as pairing them with words not normally paired to represent the sound of the letters. This book won the award of the Ala Notable Children's Books for Younger Readers.

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Miss Spider's ABC by David Kirk

Summary: Celebration is among Miss Spider's friends, and this primer shows party preparations in progress from A to Z: "Bumblebees blow balloons./ Caterpillars circle/ dragonfly decorations." All sorts of insects assist, from moths whose white- and black-spotted wings resemble velvety floor-length capes to termites who tote colorful wrapped presents in their mandibles. At the end of the sequence, Miss Spider floats in on the back of a striped Zebra butterfly and receives a welcoming shout of "Happy Birthday!" from the buggy assembly. Kirk (Miss Spider's New Car) sets the activity in a flowery garden and a hornets' nest; he substitutes gently waving antennae for paper streamers in the closing scene. His dew-bright oil paintings glow with the fluorescent yellow-green of fandango-ing fireflies, shades of backlit midnight-blue and lush lavender-rose hues. Each oversize letter of the alphabet appears near the text, so that readers have an easy reference point as they scan the vivid artwork. Devotees will detect their returning favorites: Holley hides among the "smiling spiders" taking shelter beneath the red roses, and May and Ike greet the termites beside the "very vivid violets." Kirk's witty rhymes and the ever polite Miss Spider's hostessing talents are absent this time around, but the juiced-up, color-saturated illustrations are thrilling all the same. Ages 4-7. Copyright 1998 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

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The Graphic Alphabet by David Pelletier

Summary: Amazon.com Most alphabet books for pre-readers and early readers set out to make the somewhat abstract idea of letters as clear and as clearly linked to words as possible. In The Graphic Alphabet, graphic designer David Pelletier has created an alphabet book that aims to explore letters for their beauty and complexity as design elements as well as help teach kids how to read. His "A," for example, stands for "avalanche," and with its normally pointed top tumbling down the right diagonal, the letter doesn't just stand for the avalanche, it becomes the word. Pelletier is equally ingenious throughout. And while this might not be the best book to make the concept of letters concrete for youngsters, it will certainly help instill in them a sense of wonder about letters and words.

Notable Information: This book is a tad too sophisticated for younger students just learning their abc's. The author, a graphic designer created this alphabet book in 1996 that"had to retain the natural shape of the letter as well as represent the meaning of the word", by using good design. Thus, this is an excellent text for older students interested in art or graphic design. This book won the Caldecott award for illustrations and art.

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The Turn-Around, Upside-Down Alphabet Book by Lisa Campbell Ernst

Summary: PreSchool-Grade 2–Children who are tired of staid concept books will welcome this one–it literally turns the alphabet on its ear. Each page contains a large block letter enclosed in a square that, when viewed from a different direction–left, right, or upside-down (hence the title)–transforms into an entirely different object. For example, when "J" is rotated clockwise, it becomes, in turn, "an elephant's trunk," "a candy cane," and "a monkey's tail." Some designs, like "O," are easy to spot (bagel, owl's eye, fried egg); others, like "K" (picnic table, a mama duck with two ducklings, Martian's antennae) and "W" (two fish, a cat casting a shadow, a mountain stream), present more of a challenge. With touches of humor and a great deal of creativity, Ernst fashioned this book out of cut paper and surrounded each block with a thick black border that sets off white words. Children will enjoy tilting the pages to see the transformations and will be motivated to come up with ideas of their own.–Laurie Edwards, West Shore School District, Camp Hill, PA Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Notable Information: I would use this book with students already familiar with the alphabet system. It proves more rewarding for students to manipulate the letters and see things differently. This book also received the award for Ala Notable Children's Books for Younger Readers in 2004.

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Jazz ABZ: An A to Z Collection of Jazz Portraits by Wynton Marsalis and Paul Rogers

Summary: Ages 9 & Up–Fans of poetry, jazz, and modern art will love this book. With Marsalis handling the words and Rogers the graphics, they have created an illustrated catalog of great jazz innovators from A (Louis Armstrong) to Z (Dizzy Gillespie). Large, colorful, LP-size paintings of the forefathers and mothers of jazz face cleanly printed, sometimes shaped poetry. The stylized artwork is gorgeous, evoking the spirit of pop art, Blue Note album covers, and 1920s advertising art. Particularly eye-catching are the images of Thelonious Monk (an homage to early-20th-century food-label graphics) and Eubie Blake (with hands and a keyboard integrated into the poem), but every page is a delight to behold. Although Marsalis includes 27 different poetic forms, his poems move along similarly at the pace of a drum solo. The selections are visual, but work best when read aloud like slam poetry, beat poetry, or hip-hop. Particular highlights are a playful Miles Davis selection and a challenging performance poem for Art Blakey. In addition to the information about the musicians embedded in the poems, short biographical sketches are included. This uncommon alphabet book will delight readers and deserves a place in most library collections.–Steev Baker, Kewaskum Public Library, WI Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Unique Features: A great alphabet book for older students' libraries. This text contains biographies of jazz musicians and the illustrations are presented in unique art deco format. Great to use in a study on jazz music and African American heritage.

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Gone Wild by David McLimans

From School Library Journal Grade 3 Up–Although organized as a conventional alphabet book, the letters here are far from ordinary. McLimans has created a black-and-white iconic representation of 26 endangered animals, and his art is striking. For example, the newt's eyes protrude slightly from the sides of N, while its tongue emerges from the lower point. An accompanying box on each page includes a small, stylized red-and-white image of the animal plus information about its class, habitat, range, and threats to its survival. Back matter includes a paragraph about each creature along with a list of Web sites for organizations that help endangered animals and books for further reading. This title will serve more as a tool to raise awareness and a place to begin searching for information rather than as a source of facts. However, the arresting graphics and clean design will hold viewers' attention and create interest in the topic. The book could also serve as a starting point for art and design projects for students well above elementary school age.–Kathy Piehl, Minnesota State University, Mankato Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Classroom Implications: This book has an innovative approach to the traditional alphabet book. It operates as an alphabet book and nonfiction text that advocates around the critical social issue of protecting endangered species. Students can not only use this text to learn the alphabet, but students can learn about the animals and organizations that support the preservation of the species. This text is also an important tool to support English language learners and special education students in the upper grades.

Skills and Strategies

• Letter learning & symbol making
  
• Nonfiction reading
• Social action

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