Review by Booklist Review
Ages 2^-7. This alphabet book uses photographs of children with Down Syndrome as it introduces letters of the alphabet. Simple words, such as apple and ball are used under each photograph, and the items appear as props in the pictures. The multiracial models are all photogenic, enabling the photographer to capture their personalities and give youngsters a glimpse of who they are. At times, the models pose with what appear to be siblings, and the author thanks the 12 families at the start of the book. In no way does this book pander to an audience or flaunt a segment of the population; it merely celebrates the beauty of all children, much like the spirit behind the Special Olympics. The creative team behind this book wisely chose not to include an introductory or closing essay, nor a blurb about Down Syndrome; the pictures simply speak for themselves. A book for all preschool classrooms. --Kathy Broderick
From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by School Library Journal Review
PreS-A simple concept book with wonderful full-color photographs. Each picture shows a child with Down's syndrome posing with an object that represents a letter of the alphabet. The items will be easily recognized by the intended audience: K is for kite, H is for hug, Q is for quilt, and W is for wagon. Upper and lowercase letters are highlighted at the top of each page in a square of color, while the word representing the object runs across the bottom of the page in large type. The photographs, viewed against a white background, appear to jump out on the page. In each picture, the smiling child or children are engaged with the object, evoking a joyful mood. Both genders and a number of ethnic groups are included. This is a terrific concept book for preschoolers with the added bonus of exposing them to a group of children not usually seen in picture books.-Sheilah Kosco, Rapides Parish Library, Alexandria, LA (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
(Preschool) In a world of increasingly complex ABC books, this one gets back to the basics. For each letter, a child with Down syndrome is featured in a color photograph, sometimes with a sibling or friend, posing or playing with a common object (apple, ball, cat, dog). With one exception (hug), all the words are concrete nouns. Against a white background, the photos show only the child and the object. The upper- and lower-case letters appear above the photo, and the word corresponding to the object is printed below the photo. While the book is appropriate for any preschool classroom, teachers of special needs or integrated classrooms, or parents of children with Down syndrome, may particularly welcome this title. For those young readers with developmental delays such as Down syndrome who are learning picture identification, letter identification, or word recognition, the absence of distracting details may be helpful, allowing attention to remain focused on the important features: the object, the word, and the letter. (c) Copyright 2010. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted. All rights reserved.
(c) Copyright The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Review by Kirkus Book Review
This bright and shiny alphabet shows the letters from apple to zebra and features happy, smiling children all of whom have Down's syndrome. Each letter (lower and upper case) appears in a colored box, floating on a white background. In the center of the page a child or two is photographed holding, petting, or examining an object. All background material has been eliminated from the photographs, so the children float or sit in the white space. The photographer draws the viewer in to this central portrait by eliminating detail and background distractions. Even when modeling an action, "hugging," or petting the dog, the children convey stillness rather than motion. A variety of ethnic groups are represented, as are boys and girls from toddler to the age of eight. Below each picture is a single word in large type. The publisher provides a glossy, reinforced binding with full-color photographs that add to the appeal. Though catalogued with "mentally handicapped," the alternative classification of "E" seems more helpful since using it will allow the book to be found in the alphabet books by everyone. This title is useful for special-needs children as well as to sensitize a general audience. A very welcome addition to school and public library collections. (Picture book. 3-5) Copyright ©Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
