The Children's Book of Alphabets

A beautifully illustrated collection of alphabet rhymes - a treasury for every child's bookshelf.

Learning your ABCs has never been more fun! This one-of-a-kind alphabet gift book provides a wonderful mix of traditional and new alphabet rhymes and verses to share with children.This delightful treasury includes the rhyming "A"WAS ONCE AN APPLE PIE by Edward Lear, the traditional SHAKER ABECEDARIUS, the charming A WAS AN ARCHER, the newly created ALPHABET OF NURSERY RHYMES and the magical CHRISTMAS ALPHABET. Bright, vibrant illustrations by five contemporary artists bring each and every rhyme in this timeless treasury to colorful life. A book for every child's bookshelf.

PreSchool-K-Five alphabets (three from the past, two new) are interpreted by different contemporary illustrators to form one solid entry in the sea of alphabet books. Edward Lear's "A Was Once an Apple Pie," illustrated by Rosalind Beardshaw, is still a tongue-tickling delight full of nonsense words supported by a sturdy, agreeable illustration for each letter. Jan Barger illustrates "The Shaker Abecedarius" from The Shaker Manifesto, 1882 with a cheery image for each of the more than 100 animals mentioned. The "xanthos" and/or the "ichneumon" may mystify even the well informed; however, most entries will be familiar. The rhyming couplets of four animals each read with a pleasing bounce similar to jump-rope chants. "A Was an Archer" from Tom Thumb's Picture Alphabet provides a tidy sentence for each letter: "carouse" and "house" stretch the rhyme a bit while "Usurer," "Zany," and "Vintner" may be unfamiliar to many. Tiphanie Beeke's childlike illustrations in harmonious colored horizontal strips (three to a page) are quite wonderful. Lynne Chapman illustrates "An Alphabet of Nursery Rhymes" with colorful and witty cartoons for each of the 26 nursery rhymes gathered or created. "The Christmas Alphabet" has crisp, stylized illustrations in secondary colors by Mary Claire Smith. Though the most simple in approach, with one word for each large letter, the illustrations and words struggle within this simplicity. U is "Unwrap," V is "Visitor," and X is "Xmas"-acceptable but not inspired. The strength of this offering is the variety present in one volume. A strong choice for any library short on alphabets or lacking the historical entries.
Jody McCoy, The Bush School, Seattle, WA
Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information, Inc.