Kirkus Reviews QR Code
ABCS OF THE WEB by John C. Vanden-Heuvel Sr.

ABCS OF THE WEB

by John C. Vanden-Heuvel Sr. & Andrey Ostrovky ; illustrated by Tom Holmes

Pub Date: May 3rd, 2016
ISBN: 978-1-4998-0312-9
Publisher: Little Bee Books

An alphabet primer that introduces little ones to HTML, the internet, JavaScript, and more.

Each page presents one letter and a brief definition of a concept from web design and coding. “O is for Open source. / Use an O. / Work with O. / What begins with O?” This is followed by an explanation: “Open source is sharing code and adding what you know.” The terms are accompanied by cartoon babies, with paper-white, orangey-brown, and burnt-orange skin tones, demonstrating the meanings of these web concepts in everyday situations. To demonstrate “open source,” pajama-clad tots happily share a hard-candy choke hazard. To illustrate “elements,” a baby builds with oversize Lego-like bricks, and the “tags” page shows clothing on hangers with large store tags dangling. Many of these concepts are quite sophisticated, and the one-sentence definitions will just leave little ones and many of their grown-ups with more queries. Also, it is hard to know who the book’s audience is. Will board-book–reading, literal-minded toddlers and preschoolers be able to understand that the “cookies” in their computer aren’t real cookies at all? Most children will not begin to understand the concepts in this book until they are 8 or 9 at least, but they will likely not want to have these ideas explained by cartoon babies wearing onesies.

For the baby showers of expectant web developers only—all others should close the browser on this one.

(Board book. 3-6)