Caribbean Alphabet - Hardcover

Frane Lessac

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0333473744 ISBN 13: 9780333473740

Publisher: HUMANITY PRESS/PROMETHEUS BK, 1989

Synopsis

This is an alphabet book featuring a text describing Caribbean scenes. Each letter is dealt with in turn, a portion of text being allocated to a particular letter and using it extensively.

About this title

From School Library Journal

PreSchool-Grade 1-A lively, colorful alphabet book. Most of the words will be familiar to U.S. readers; but some, such as agouti, dasheen, Junkanoo, queen-conch, and Rastafarian refer to natural features or cultural elements of the Caribbean region. Illustrations are of typical island scenes, and Lessac cleverly incorporates decorative motifs in the hand-drawn uppercase letters. A glossary defines some of the more unfamiliar terms. Unfortunately the flat, primitive pictures have a certain sameness that, by the end, seems monotonous. Too often, the people look alike. While showing the rich natural beauty of the region, Lessac does not show much ethnic or cultural diversity. No people of East Indian origin appear on the pages; whites are pictured primarily as tourists. Children will enjoy browsing through this book, but they should also be exposed to titles that offer a more complex portrait of life in the Caribbean.
Lyn Miller-Lachmann, Siena College Library, Loudonville, NY
Copyright 1994 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Publishers Weekly

Caribbean islands sparkle in the sun in this exuberant, luxuriantly illustrated abecedary. Alphabetically ordered vocabulary presented at the bottom of each page ("airport, arrivals, airplane, agouti") prompt the reader to explore bustling scenes; like the words, some of the depicted activities are familiar (kite flying), some are not (limbo dancing). Unusual terms (hibiscus, Junkanoo) are explained in a pictorial glossary at the back of the book. The chosen words reflect the importance of nature; fruit, animals and plants predominate. Groupings of words help with sound recognition and issue implicit invitations to create sentences and even stories. Lessac's ( Caribbean Carnival ) illuminates the naive freshness of her childlike gouaches with an intense palette. Each picture has its own little narrative on this celebratory island tour--fun, fluid and imaginative. Ages 4-up.
Copyright 1994 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Edition details

• Publisher: HUMANITY PRESS/PROMETHEUS BK
• Publication date: 1989
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 0333473744
• ISBN 13: 9780333473740
• Binding: Hardcover
• Number of pages: 32