Review by Booklist Review
Ages 3-5. As the title suggests, Cleary's rhyming alphabet book is a clamorous celebration of noise and commotion. Given its rural setting, many (though not all) of the sounds are farm related. G, for example, is for "Grunt / That's the pig," and H is for "Hee-haw / The donkey's bray." Rand has provided watercolor illustrations for this new edition of a title originally published in 1960. The text holds up well, and the pictures are as energetic as the three farm kids, who either hear or make the glorious gallimaufry of A to Z sounds. (Reviewed April 1, 1998)0688151825Michael Cart
From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by Publisher's Weekly Review
As its title suggests, the energy level of this alphabet storybook runs high, thanks in part to Cleary's choice of verbs ("Flutter," "Jabber," "Rumble"), lively onomatopoeic sounds ("Kerchoo!" "Putt-putt," "Toot-toot") and animal noises ("Hee-haw," "Quack-quack") that lead off these 26 brief verses. Rand's (Knots on a Counting Rope) hearty watercolors endow the volume's clamorous crewa spunky trio of siblings and the animal residents of their farmwith particular appeal. Ranging from panoramic views of a timeless rural setting to close-ups of kids and critters, Rand's pictures document the antic proceedings, until a thunder storm arrives and the children are summoned back to the farmhouse. Occasional lazy rhyme schemes (e.g., rips/trip; racket/whack it) and lapses in rhythm ("N for Noises,/ Clucks and cackles./ A hawk!/ It scatters the hens/ And makes them squawk") trip the tongue. Still, Cleary teaches as she tells her story, and Rand's art is consistently divertinga winning combination in a preschool read-aloud. Ages 3-up. (Apr.) (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved
(c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved
Review by School Library Journal Review
PreS-Gr 1ÄGet ready for a noisy tour of the alphabet as two brothers and their sister whoop it up on the family farm. Each letter is given its own page, but unlike more conventional alphabet books, the main illustration doesn't necessarily focus on the letter's sound. For example, in the picture for "Kk for Kerchoo!/What a big sneeze!/It startles the rabbit/Nibbling the peas," the rabbit is front and center while the older brother is sneezing in the background. "Vv for Voice./Did someone call?/Quick! Up on the horse./Try not to fall" is illustrated by a picture of the girl mounting a horse. In the background, her parents stand on a porch and wave. The rhymes are busy and boisterous, and each cock-a-doodle-doo, grunt, hee-haw, moo, squeak, squawk, cluck, cackle, and shout is meant for reading aloud. While the original text copyright is 1960, the pictures are brand new. Rand's expert watercolor illustrations on crisp white backgrounds bring the action to life with just the slightest touch of nostalgia. His attention to detail, as in the pig's self-satisfied smirk and sister's T-shirt with the alphabet printed on front and back, adds irresistible charm. Share this with your preschool crowd or recommend it to an early-childhood teacher for a unit on farm life. Either way, it's a winner.ÄAlicia Eames, New York City Public Schools (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
(c) Copyright Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Review by Horn Book Review
The farm is an exciting and noisy place as three children romp through the barnyard and discover, among other things, echoes in the well, fluttering blackbirds, and a grunting pig. Cleary chooses less common, but interesting, words for her exuberant alphabet verse, while Rand's realistic and energetic watercolors convey the sense of enjoyment the children experience. From HORN BOOK Fall 1998, (c) Copyright 2010. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
(c) Copyright The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Review by Kirkus Book Review
Cleary's bouncy 1960 ABC book undergoes rejuvenation courtesy of Rand's ultra-wholesome watercolors, which have a genuine bounce of their own. Three kids and a dog dash around a farm to a rhyming text: ``G for Grunt/That's the pig./Nothing moves him./He's too big.'' The kids and animals make lots of noise, hide in the barn during a cloudburst, and race home, muddied but still noisy in this brightly restored read-aloud. (Picture book. 3-8)
Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
