ABC FOR YOU AND ME

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)