Caribbean Alphabet

Presents an alphabet of images from the Caribbean, such as hibiscus, mangoes, and reggae

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.

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.

Ages 4-8. Exuberant gouache paintings in tropical colors and naive style celebrate Caribbean culture. For each letter of the alphabet, there's a full-page detailed scene and three or four words in clear type: For example, A is for airport, arrivals, airplane, agouti. The pages are handsomely designed, both stylized and playful; each alphabet letter is also a frame for a miniature picture, and there's a visual glossary at the back for unfamiliar words. The holiday carnival scene is dominant, but if T is for tourists, there's also U for university, and R is for rainbow, Rastafarians, reggae, radio. On each page, kids will identify things they know and also find something new and exciting. Hazel Rochman