Caribbean Alphabet

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.

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.