Skillfully constructed and cleverly composed, it’s an awesome alphabet book that adults will also appreciate.
Is there any new way left to present the alphabet? The answer is Yes, as this graphic artist demonstrates when he applies his retro style to the ABCs.
From a cover that features a boy’s head and arms on a body shaped like the letter A to Z for zipper, the illustrator explains that he “pursues the challenge of fusing the object of the word with the shape of the letter.” His approach succeeds in a fascinating way. The lower- and upper-case letter is centered on the verso pages against textured, vividly colored papers, while the letter designs appear on the recto and have a posterlike quality. E for embrace is depicted with two E letters fitted together like tongue and groove, for example. The word choices are unusual: G for graffiti; K for karate (a boy’s robed body makes a K shape); P for pretty; Q for quicksand; H for hang (a monkey is hanging from the bars of the letter H in a Hangman game). The digital-media artwork has a distinctive look that will be best appreciated by young ones who already know the ABCs.
Skillfully constructed and cleverly composed, it’s an awesome alphabet book that adults will also appreciate. (author’s note) (Picture book. 5-7)Pub Date: Oct. 1, 2011
ISBN: 978-0-7636-5565-5
Page Count: 64
Publisher: Templar/Candlewick
Review Posted Online: Aug. 2, 2011
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 15, 2011
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
A solid introduction to the ninth month of the year and all the joys it ushers in.
Martin’s latest in a series that personifies the months of the year follows a young girl who exemplifies all things fall.
Tan-skinned, bespectacled September is all about autumn, from the cozy sweater she wears to the red and green leaves tangled in her long hair. She’s thrilled to start school with Ms. Seasons, her new teacher, who gives the class an exciting new assignment: embarking on a fall nature watch and checking off signs of the new season. Friends August and October accompany September as they observe apple trees, a campfire, a scarecrow (and a crow), and, finally, the elusive fall-colored leaf. September, who has a cochlear implant and is of Latine heritage, also tells her classmates—and readers—about other important things going on this month. She gives presentations on Deaf Awareness Month (and goes over the American Sign Language alphabet) and Hispanic Heritage Month (and teaches her classmates the phrase “Hola, amigo”). The book closes with discussion questions, a prompt for readers, and an applesauce recipe. Though light on tension or conflict, the story serves its purpose well: introducing children to the hallmarks of the season. Kids nervous about back-to-school—another marker of September—will feel soothed by the protagonist’s sunny outlook. Martin’s illustrations appear digital and are rife with autumnal elements; September’s design is a particular highlight.
A solid introduction to the ninth month of the year and all the joys it ushers in. (Picture book. 5-7)Pub Date: Sept. 1, 2026
ISBN: 9781464261633
Page Count: 48
Publisher: Sourcebooks Wonderland
Review Posted Online: June 1, 2026
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 1, 2026
Laugh-out-loud fun for all.
Hilarious complications ensue when Nanette’s mom gives her the responsibility of buying the family baguette.
She sets out on her errand and encounters lots of distractions along the way as she meets and greets Georgette, Suzette, Bret with his clarinet, Mr. Barnett and his pet, Antoinette. But she remembers her mission and buys the baguette from Juliette the baker. And oh, it is a wonderful large, warm, aromatic hunk of bread, so Nanette takes a taste and another and more—until there is nothing left. Maybe she needs to take a jet to Tibet. But she faces her mother and finds understanding, tenderness, and a surprise twist. Willems is at his outlandish best with line after line of “ettes” and their absurd rhymes, all the while demonstrating a deep knowledge of children’s thought processes. Nanette and the entire cast of characters are bright green frogs with very large round eyes, heavily outlined in black and clad in eccentric clothing and hats. A highly detailed village constructed of cardboard forms the background for Nanette’s adventures. Her every emotion explodes all over the pages in wildly expressive, colorful vignettes and an eye-popping use of emphatic display type. The endpapers follow the fate of the baguette from fresh and whole to chewed and gone. Demands for encores will surely follow.
Laugh-out-loud fun for all. (Picture book. 3-6)Pub Date: Oct. 25, 2016
ISBN: 978-1-4847-2286-2
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Hyperion
Review Posted Online: Aug. 1, 2016
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 1, 2016
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