The love of reading starts with the simplicity of the alphabet. This fall, the children's publishing industry is providing some wonderful selections related to the alphabet.
"If Rocks Could Sing. A Discovered Alphabet," by Leslie McGuirk, Tricycle Press, all ages, $15.99.
Finding rocks that look like letters is a challenge. But McGuirk took her idea to a new level. Not only are rock letters featured, but the author also collected rocks that look like different shapes to illustrate the letters. For example, on the "D is for dog" page, she has a rock that looks like a "d" and a rock that looks like a dog. This is an alphabet book that will entertain any age.
"An Edible Alphabet. 26 Reasons to Love the Farm," by Carol Watterson, Random House, ages 6 to 10, $16.99.
Young readers learn more than their alphabet in this fact-filled picture book. For example, the "Ee — Eager Ewes" page has "Five Fleecy Facts" about sheep, and the "Ss — Stink, Stank, Stunk" page covers facts about manure and how it benefits the soil.
Along the same lines, don't miss this beautifully illustrated book:
"Country Road ABC. An Illustrated Journey Through America's Farmland," by Arthur Geisert, Houghton Mifflin, ages 5 to 8, $17.
"Alpha Oops! H is for Halloween," by Alethea Kontis, Candlewick, ages 5 to 8, $15.99.
Warning: This clever seasonal picture book doesn't follow the traditional order of the alphabet. The letters are a jumble as they prepare for a Halloween show. We like how the letters scroll across the bottom of each page, lining up in proper order as the colorful Halloween pageant progresses.
"A Fabulous Fair Alphabet," by Debra Frasier, Simon & Schuster, ages 5 to 8, $16.99.
It was love at first sight when we saw the alphabet-covered Ferris wheel on the cover of this colorful book. The fair is an easy place to play the alphabet game, and this book uses shots of letters found at fairs across America.
"FDR's Alphabet Soup. New Deal America 1932-1939," Random House, ages 12 and older, 144 pages, $19.99.
Franklin Delano Roosevelt's first 100 days as president were spent creating a plan called the New Deal. It was a bold initiative meant to pull the United States out of crippling economic circumstances and get the country back on track financially. The numerous organizations that came out of the New Deal were known mostly by their initials, thus FDR's programs became known as his "Alphabet Soup."
This book is full of incredible photos. One of the most telling and ironic ones features a group of people with desperate looks on their faces waiting in a relief line. Above them is a billboard showing a happy family touting the slogan, "World's Highest Standard of Living — There's no way like the American way."
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