Every Little Letter

Every Little Letter
By Deborah Underwood
Illustrated by Joy Hwang Ruiz
Dial Books for Young Readers, 2020. Picture Book.

There is a land where there are a lot of walls. These walls create 26 different communities. In each community there is a particular letter; for example, all the “B”s live together and all the “Q”s live together. This means that things are very set in the way they are. And all the conversations are the same. (Imagine a world when all you can say is “O o o o oooo.”) One day a curious little letter “h” decides to look through a crack in the wall and sees the letter “i”. The two become friends and a whole lot of happy chaos (and interference from frustrated adult letter parents who don’t want change) happens.

This is a great story to not only explore alphabet letters and upper and lower cases but also to explore learning, differences, and getting out of your comfort zone. Readers will be able to tell what the multi-colored letters are based on their shapes (with some added hands, facial features, and scribbles for hair). Kids who are learning to read will enjoy looking at the various letters and they start spelling out new words. Underwood and Ruiz have created a fun introduction to alphabet letters amid a community coming-of-age story.

Comments

Funny Farm by Mark Teague 2009

There are things I liked about Mark Teague's newest book, Funny Farm , and things I didn't like. Where should I start? I'll do the "didn'ts" first. The illustrations show animals personified. Well, some of the animals are. The main characters, Edward, and his farm family relatives, all dogs, are humanized. They stand upright, do farm chores, eat at a table, wear clothes, knit (yes, with paws) and sleep in beds. Most everybody else on and around the farm, who are also animals, act like animals. They are outside, roll in mud, live in the barn, and require care from their owners. It struck me the most on the page spread where there are pigs playing in puddle in the rain and Edward, a black and white boxer, watches from inside the house. I thought "You're a dog! Go play with them!" But, alas, he can't, seeing as how he goes through his entire visit to the farm wearing a suit and red bow tie. Another picture that bothered me was the maple syrup pa...

Dude, That's Rude! (Get Some Manners) by Pamela Espeland & Elizabeth Verdick

If there's one book today's kids need to read, it is Dude, That's Rude! (Get Some Manners) . The authors provide a fun format for teaching etiquette to children. They discuss proper behavior at home, at school, at other people's homes and in public places. The information is completely up-to-date with cellphone manners and netiquette included. Fun, cartoony illustrations are on practically every page giving the book great visual appeal. This book is perfect for boys and girls in the fourth grade or older. WARNING: Bodily functions are discussed.

Faces of the Moon by Bob Crelin

Faces of the Moon by Bob Crelin Illustrated by Leslie Evans Charlesburg; 2009; unpaged Faces of the Moon is a short nonfiction book that describes the different phases of the moon and why the moon appears like it does on certain nights. This book is short and sweet so even the youngest of moon lovers will enjoy it. The layout is simplistic and easy to follow. I don’t know much about the moon so I found it very interesting.

Provo Library Children's Book Blog

Search This Blog