Alligator alphabet

Stella Blackstone

Book - 2005

Animals represent each letter of the alphabet, from alligators to zebras.

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Subjects
Genres
Stories in rhyme
Picture books
Published
Cambridge, MA : Barefoot Books 2005.
Language
English
Main Author
Stella Blackstone (-)
Other Authors
Stephanie Bauer (illustrator)
Physical Description
unpaged : col. ill
ISBN
9781841484945
Contents unavailable.
Review by Publisher's Weekly Review

Blackstone's (the Cleo the Cat series) minimal, workmanlike text ("Cc is for camel. Chase us if you dare!") takes a backseat to newcomer Bauer's vibrant and exuberantly brush-stroked acrylics. The paintings have a na?f quality, with their thickly applied paints, often underpainted, with perhaps the tip of the brush handle used to strip away some of the outer layer, adding dimension and texture. Each spread links the letter to its corresponding animal with some fanciful interaction: a turquoise mommy and baby emu with golden plumage contemplate an egg tucked inside the crook of a lowercase e; a fluffy white little llama and honey-hued lion cub lick a candylike letter l as their parents look on, beaming. There are no real surprises or creative alphabet pairings here, and unlike many contemporary animal-based primers, this one contains no afterword of "fun facts" on its subjects. Rather, the appeal of this book is strictly aesthetic: the saturated, fluorescent acrylics and genially rudimentary shapes brim with good cheer, while tacitly saluting readers' own artistic instincts. All ages. (Sept.) (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved

(c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved
Review by School Library Journal Review

PreS-Parent-and-baby pairs from alligators to zebras playfully introduce the alphabet with a simple rhyme and snappy illustrations. Children will be delighted by the vivid colors and friendly animals, while adults will welcome the inclusion of both capital and lowercase forms to aid in letter recognition. One line of large text, which looks as if it had been printed by hand, fits neatly in a color block at the bottom of the page. "Aa is for alligator./Bb is for bear./Cc is for camel./Chase us if you dare!" Brilliant, fluid acrylics enliven the cheery verse. Large flat areas are dribbled with paint and accented with contrasting colors that create texture in the sloths' fur and the yaks' hair. An owl spreads its wings to expose a beautiful weblike design. Young eyes will eagerly spot other simple details, such as a small panda peeking through the "P." Patterned borders frame each page and are then repeated in the striped endpapers. The book concludes with two spreads of small blocks that show all the animals and letters. This is one of the most attractive new alphabet books. The simplicity of the text and art proves once again that less is more.-Carolyn Janssen, Public Library of Cincinnati and Hamilton County, OH (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

Dd is for dolphin. / Ee is for emu. / Ff is for fox and / for fish and ferret too."" Taken alone, the stale, clunky rhyming text deserves low marks. The illustrations, however, belong at the head of the class: each page or spread features a jaunty patterned border framing animals painted in bold strokes in revelatory color combinations. (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

Alphabet books are a dime a dozen, and this one might not be worth your dime. Bauer's acrylic paintings are bright, almost finger-painted close-ups of happy, open-faced animals. Some share their letters with other animals, some with veggies beginning with the same letter. Still others, like the llamas and the lions, perform actions to suit their letters, like "licking." Pretty pictures cannot save this alpha-bestiary, though; Blackstone's text is the fly in the ointment. The meter is off-kilter in places, and the rhymes are at times not even approximate. No matter your accent or speech difficulty, "wolf" does not rhyme with "move." "U" is for umbrella bird and "X" for xoona moth if you're curious. Save your alphabet pennies for another day. (Picture book. 2-6) Copyright ©Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.

Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.