Often alphabet books are considered only for the youngest or not-yet-reading youngster. This is simply not so. Some of the oldest and richest illustrations are seen in past versions of ABC books. While they may have been intended mainly for instruction of beginning language and sound patterns, a look at their variety suggests an overview of varied themes and cultures. There is also a wealth of art history in this genre of picture book. Many artists --beginning as well as award-winners painters -- use the frame structure around the 26 letters of the alphabet.
Most ABC books fall into one or some combination of four basic styles; (1) a word with a picture format, (2) ones with simple narrative, (3) verse related to the alphabet letter, or (4) a story or theme-oriented content.Following are a dozen new alphabet books that I found most appealing:
The simplest alphabet text is built on a balance of one word with one picture. "My Big Alphabet Boole" by D.K. Publishers is oversized (10 x 121/2) made of sturdy board pages and tough tabs, a simple way to find the words and letters. Full-color photographs of recognizable objects are used
Another board book in smaller size is "John Burningham's ABC" (Crown) that literally bursts with imagination. Burningham, one of the most clever artists from Britain, uses tiny people and animals to interest a young reader.
Dog lovers of all ages will like "Arf! Beg! Catch! Dogs from A to Z" by Henry Horenstein (Scholastic). From end-page to end-page vivid photographs of many pedigrees of canines are shown at rest and play. There are dogs, yawning, slumbering, jumping and fetching. There's even an x-ray of a puppy.
All three of these simple books use both lower and upper-case letters of the alphabet.
"Miss Spider's ABC" by David Kirk (Scholastic) is the latest adventure of children's literature most popular arachnid. Miss Spider's friends -- from ant to zebra butterfly -- prepare to celebrate her birthday while "Bumblebees blow balloons/ Caterpillars circle dragonfly decorations." This is a very cheery party that fans of Miss Spider will enjoy thoroughly.
Nancy Carlson's "ABC I Like Me!" (Penguin/Puffin) is a book about self-esteem. Pig and her animal friends relate the things that make them special such as being Awesome, Brave and Cheerful. They like to play outside, be Polite and Quiet so they can Read. Feeling good about yourself is important and this book will provide at least 26 ways to do that.
Just the opposite of making positive comments about someone is saying the meanest things possible. "The Absolutely Awful Alphabet" by Mordicai Gerstein (Harcourt) supplies an abundance of insults, all intended to be taken lightly, however. Gerstein fashions an imaginary character out of each letter that throws barbs through the entire alphabet. From A to Z ( "A is an awfully arrogant Amphibian annoyed at B who is bashful, belching Bumpkin to "Y a yucky young Yokel who yodels for Z a zigzagging Zany!" ) he strings the letters one from the next with silly and gleeful slams. The oil portraits of the incorrigible characters could fire up some young humor.
Edward Lear (1812) was a whizz with sounds of the language. Vladimir Radunsky used this play-with-rhyme notion to write and illustrate "An Edward Lear Alphabet" (HarperCollins). Whether it's "J was once a jar of jam,
Jammy
Mammy
Clammy
Jammy
Sweet Swammy
Jar of jammy"
or "0 was once a little owl,
Owly
Prowly
Howly
Owly
Browny fowly
Little owl."
There is much fun with the tongue twisters which were a hallmark of Lear. The bright splashy art work will attract young readers and maybe be an introduction to the not-forgotten writer of the past.
Richard Wilbur and David Diaz solve the problem of what would happen if the letters of the ABC's vanished in "The Disappearing Alphabet" (Harcourt). "What if there were no A? Cows would eat HY instead of HAY. What's HY? It's an unheard-of diet/And Cows are happy not to try it." In silly little rhymes, we find out what would happen if we lost P (a banana would be a slippery eel) or 0 (you couldn't come, or go, rove or roam and you couldn't stay at home!) The art work was created with a desk-top computer program.
"Alphababies," by Kim Golding (DK) and "A is for Amos" by Deborah Chandra and Keiko Narahaski (FSG) are simple rhymes for young listeners. Each tell a little story about a child's day that includes many adventures. The Golding book puts real photos of babies on the characters which may attract the attention of some children.
The linoleum-cut illustrations make elegant designs in "Spring: An Alphabet Acrostic" by Stephen Schnur and Leslie Evans (Clarion). Not only are the 26 letters used as a format, but they also begin an acrostic (the first letters in each line forming a word) which suggests events and happenings in spring, such as kites flying and hop-scotch patterns on the sidewalk.
"A is For the Americas," by Cynthia Chin-Lee and Terri de la Pena, illustrated by Enrique 0. Sanchez (Orchard) is a multicultural journey from the icy tundra of the Arctic to the southern most part of Argentina. Holidays (El Dia de los Muertos and Las Posadas) food (empanada and jalapeno) wildlife (quetzal and uakari) and much more is explained in ABC order. Notes about the languages and a display of the many national flags make this a wonderful reference.
"Everything to Spend the Night From A to Z" by Ann Whitford Paul and Maggie Smith (DK) is an easy-spirited readalong about a girl who goes to her grandfather's with a duffel full of " . . . apples to share, bunny, bear and a hairbrush." There is exuberance in the things she brings to a sleep-over and the spunky way she entertains herself (and the grandfather) while she stays. This is definitely a "let's read it again!" book.