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Welcome to the new year, where the most important thing you can do for your academic child is help her develop into a great reader. Of course, the way to success travels the road of words, and this month’s selections really get down to the A-Zs. In fact, three of the books have the word “alphabet” in their title or subtitle. So, that should be a great clue on where you can go with this reading group. We’ll start with A… Words to read by Choices abound, from A-Z and beyond (For ages 3-7) Alphabet Rescue By Audrey and Bruce Wood (The Blue Sky Press, hardcover, 36 pages, $15.99) The letters of the alphabet have decided to take a vacation. School is out and they have done all they can to help Charley learn to read and write. So, they sail off and land…next to broken-down fire engine. This is just the project they need, to fix it up and make themselves useful once again. Wonderfully illustrated by Bruce Wood, the pictures alone will hold everyone’s interest. Uno’s Garden By Graeme Base (Abrams Books for Young Readers, hardcover, 46 pages, $19.95) The artist Graeme Base brings an environmental lesson to this counting book that uses numbers in a subtle way to paint the big picture. It is the story of Uno, who decides to live in the forest among wonderful animals, such as the snortlepig and the gondolope. It is a story about how the city and the forest can live in perfect harmony. On each page, there is an accounting of how many items are found, such as the one leefytree. (For ages 4-9) A is for Astronaut (Chronicle Book, hardcover, 36 pages, $14.95) For the child who has decided to become an astronaut, this is an excellent primer for all that is involved. The colorfully illustrated and photographed book explains the facts about space, from A-Z. For E, Earth is described as “the planet we call home.” The text carries the historical themes effortlessly from page to page. This is about getting educated, as well as being entertained. So, don’t forget Z, for Zoom. (For ages 5-8) Sparkle and Spin By Ann and Paul Rand (Chronicle Books, hardcover, 36 pages, $15.95) The illustrations by Paul Rand are simple, and the words, explaining the words themselves as chosen by his wife, Ann, help identify the whole purpose of this month’s selections. Words are powerful things, such as the names of people you like, or something you shout about, or how to describe why the sun is hot. The Rand duo brings to life the words we use, and the ones we are learning. Tools By Taro Miura (Chronicle Books, hardcover, 48 pages, $15.95) Tools are the equipment of life, and to each is attached a word. Japan’s Miura, an illustrator and graphic designer, combines simple drawings with the word association. Not only is the carpenter working, but the tools of his trade, such as nails and a hammer, are illustrated. This gives children a clue about the stuff their parent may use, either in the garage when working on the plans for a treehouse, or at the shop fixing a car, or at the hospital, while saving a life. (For ages 6-9) Tickets to Ride By Mark Rogalski (Running Press, hardcover, 64 pages, $15.95) The words in this clever book from A-Z, which goes page by page through an amusement park, will be difficult to decipher if left only to the young reader. However, with help from a parent, the full-page illustrations are a clever trick, from “Hippo Hop” to “That’s Some Kind of Sled, Kangaroo Fred!” Done in rhyme, the short text should help develop the emerging vocabulary. Alphabet Explosion! By John Nickle (Schwartz & Wade Books, hardcover, 40 pages, $16.95) As the subtitle says, you get to search and count from alien to zebra. At each letter, the reader is challenged to find, within the artwork, a set number of subjects beginning with that letter, such as in the letter A. The child and the adult will need help from each other, but that’s part of the fun. We’re still coming up short with the 17 I’s at our household. (For all ages) Down in the Garden Anne Geddes (Andrews McMeel Publishing, hardcover, 10th anniversary edition, 160 pages, $24.95) Renowned photographer Geddes, in this re-issue, uses babies as her subject, and the garden as a kind of womb, in creating one-of-a-kind photographs that combine the beginning of life with life itself. For example, on a double-spread, each painted pot has a baby’s smiling or quizzical face peering over the top. “And you thought babies only came from under cabbage leaves.” |
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