Memorable ABC Books

Life with a preschooler means a lot of singing, and a lot of opportunities to promote early literacy skills--especially with the ABC song. My daughter loves reading with me and sits for picture books and early chapter books. At almost four years old, she also loves to practice writing. She wants to write daily. I no longer tell her how to spell words when she asks, but rather work with her to sound out the parts. She knows her letters, both upper and lowercase, and their primary sounds,

Looking at Alphabet books through the eyes of a reader, a writer, and as a mom, has made me picky about alphabets. If I am going to remember a book, it needs to be unique and catch my interest. Memory of the book, though, is not necessarily equal to liking it.

There are three alphabet books that jump to mind.

ABC Israel by Rachel Raz
We received this alphabet book as a gift. I will admit that I have not been to Israel. Being Jewish, though, means that learning about Israel has been part of my life. I had hoped ABC Israel would be a good book to use to introduce my daughter to the country, at least at a basic level. I wish that it showed more about Israel--the country, the land, the people, and perhaps the history. At least, that's what I expected. Unfortunately, this book is more memorable to me for what it lacks.
First off, this book lacked consistency with the types of terms named for each letter.
U=Up, but D is not down. O=Old and N=New. Up what, old what, new what? Up is for the solar panels up on rooftops. Old is for an old aqueduct. New is for new buildings. So, here we have some adjectives. Not all terms were adjectives.
R=Recycling. C=Cats.
Yes, I'm glad that there are recycling containers in the streets. I am a dedicated recycler, but we recycle here. Is recycling the best "R" word that could have been used for a book about Israel? Regarding cats, the book notes that they stroll through the streets. I like cats, but to someone who does not, the focus in this book might not exactly make Israel, or at least Tel Aviv, attractive. Perhaps something more connected to Israeli culture such as Carmel Market (also in Tel Aviv) might work. I would think a market might be fascinating to a child. I remember learning about the barter system in the market when I was younger and finding it interesting.

A few other terms do give a little taste of Israel that connects readers to people and places in Israel, thanks to accompanying photos, such as J=Jerusalem. T=Taxi does not quite cut it. Is this book supposed to show ABC concepts, or places, or things? Through my writer lens, the terms seem a bit random for me.

Then, as I prepared for this post and looked back at the book flaps, I learned that I'm supposed to look at the images and choices in this book the way a child might if she ventured through her town and kept track of the things she noticed. I suppose the choices in ABC Israel might be all right when I view them this way. Yes, children may pick out similarities between where they live and what they see in the book, but several of the alphabet choices do not make Israel sound very special or unique. That's still what I would expect from the title.

Just one girl's opinion.

_______________________________

Alligators All Around by Maurice Sendak
I acquired my tiny, approximately five inches by seven inches sized copy of this book during my early grad education, but forgot about it amid my collection of children's books. I recognized the words while hearing Carole King (yes, the Carole King) sing the song on a mixed CD that my daughter received. This triggered a memory. After a search, I found the book and have since shared it several times with my daughter. She loves Sendak's funny pictures of the alligators. I came to appreciate what I initially saw as silliness, as depictions of typical life with a child.

There are normal activities such as D=Doing Dishes, and C=Catching Colds. Then there are silly ones such as E=Entertaining Elephants, R=Riding Reindeer. Of course, there is reality in Q=Quite Quarrelsome and T=Throwing Tantrums. The only letter that I see as being an issue today is I=Imitating Indians. The illustration shows the alligators wearing feathered headdresses, holding a tomahawk and smoking a pipe. One thing to remember, though, is that Alligators All Around was originally published in 1962. Times and views on cultures were different. While definitely not politically correct today, this page certainly can be used to kick off a discussion about Native American cultures and stereotypes.

Despite the one page, I enjoy the book.  My daughter loves when I sing it to her rather than straight read it. The power of the words put to music definitely makes it memorable, and in my case, memorized.

I recently also discovered the cartoon version of Alligators All Around with Carole King singing. It appears familiar, so I am guessing that I saw it as child somewhere. Sesame Street, peerhaps? A television special? Wherever the familiarity stems from, it definitely awakened a feeling of nostalgia. Enjoy. Alligators All Around animation serenaded by Carole King

_______________________________

Jambo Means Hello: A  Swahili Alphabet Book by Muriel and Tom Feelings
I discovered this book on a reading list for a recent grad school class. In this book when the reader learns the words for each letter, the reader also receives a lesson about rural African culture.

• A=Arusi means "wedding." The reader learns about the celebration held in a village complete with drumming, dancing, and food for everyone.
• M=Mama means "mother." The reader learns about the mother's role of teaching her children to care for the younger children, and the daughter to keep a home, cook, grind corn, and make crafts.
• H=Heshima means "respect." The reader learns that children learn this at a young age and are taught to show respect for those older than themselves. The reader learns also about the custom in many communities for even grownups to kneel when meeting someone older.

Not only is the vocabulary learning rich, the illustrations, which were created by a complex process described at the end of the book, are beautiful. Images in shades and gradations of brown, gray, and white show African people working, creating, celebrating, and greeting one another. Readers also learn about dress, play, music, and nature elements of Africa.

What surprised me about this book is that it was published in 1974. The surprise came partially because I had never heard of the book or seen it before. It even was a Caldecott Honor book.
Jambo Mean Hello: A Swahili Alphabet Book is one of my new favorites!

The alphabet enriches us no matter how basic it may seem.
What is your favorite alphabet book?

Now I know my ABCs, next time won't you read with me...

Today and tomorrow,
~Tamara

I Forgot How to Read--Or So I Had Thought

In one week I begin fall semester classes toward my media specialist license.
In two weeks I return to a new year of full time teaching.
Today's post is the first of the two week countdown. 
I hope to establish some sort of routine, and a greater focus for this blog.
For the two weeks, I shall see where things go.
To many musings!

 _______________________________________________________________

I forgot how to read.
Or, so I had thought until I took an Intro to Children's Literature class in graduate school while I pursued my elementary education teaching degree.

Looking back, I remember the day in kindergarten when Mrs. Brewer entered the class, conversed with my teacher and then announced the names of the children who would join her in her classroom to learn to read.
"Choose me! Choose me!" I pleaded silently again and again until my name, Tammi, at the time, was spoken.
That was when my memory of my love of reading and learning truly began. (Although I have never forgotten when Mr. Dooley, the principal that year, took children to the courtyard during kindergarten open house night, showed us the duck eggs, and nest, and then read Where the Wild Things Are by Maurice Sendak.)

By second grade I was teaching my preschool-aged sister to read. I used the flashcards (which I still have) and the folded storybooks of Tad, Jill, and Lad (which I also still have). I knew I wanted to become a teacher some day. Besides my own reading, my classroom teacher, Miss J., who I felt blessed to have for first, second and third grade, knew how to read to children. (I'll say more about this in a future post.) She introduced me to the books of Bill Peet, the poetry and silliness of Shel Silverstein and Dennis Lee, and the books of Judy Blume--particularly Freckle Juice and the class favorite, Tales of a Fourth Grade Nothing.

These led me to read more and more. I discovered Carolyn Haywood's Betsy books (which I recently discovered remain in print), more Judy Blume--my all time favorite book became Starring Sally J. Freedman as Herself  and after 21 reads, it became my mission to memorize the book (which I never accomplished, but I made a good start). 
I later discovered the spookiness and magic of Lois Duncan, the sweetness of the Sweet Valley High series, and many more wonderful books.

Somehow, as reading literature became more a part of English classes, this triggered an anxiety for me that carried into college.

• Do I have enough time to get through the reading? 
• What parts should I focus upon?  
• What if I focus on the wrong parts and can't remember the right things for the test? 

I think the last question was my greatest fear. As a result, I seemed to lose the ability to read for enjoyment. I struggled to complete any book without seeking help from "Mr. Cliff". (I was able to read some book, but many I could not.) Today I still say that despite earning a bachelor's degree in creative writing and literature, I graduated literary illiterate. I felt there was no way I could ever consider teaching an English class. I know that I do know more now, and have stronger reading skills, but concentrating to get through an "adult" book, continues to be a challenge.

Forward to grad school and Intro to Children's Literature. Reading assignments included picture books and middle grade books. No tests. Only discussions and written reflections. Suddenly, I had the ability to complete the reading of a book again. Suddenly, my love for reading had returned.

Don't ask me what the last adult book was that I completed in whole.
I do have no problem telling you the last children's book I completed.
As of today:

• Picture book--Flora and the Flamingo by Molly Idle (Unfortunately the library copy had some missing flaps to show "before" images. Despite this, upon first "read" (as this is a wordless picture book), the pink (and my daughter loves pink) illustrations of a girl and a flamingo developing a connection and dancing together is lovely and sweet. I am working on figuring out how best to "read" wordless books aloud when I share a book with my daughter. I  encourage her to tell me a story to accompany the pictures. No luck yet. If we talk about pictures together and I ask guiding questions, we can tell the stories together. It just feels like something is missing, as compared to when I can read a story aloud. I am open to suggestions for enriching the experience of sharing wordless picture books.)
• Transition book--Bink & Gollie by Kate DiCamillo and Alison McGhee (I just read this to my daughter tonight.She and I both agree she is like Bink. I loved this first book and was able to easily suspend disbelief in regards to the two children appearing to live on their own without adult supervision. I think the first compromise made by the two girls, related to socks and pancakes, is my favorite part.)
• Middle Grade book--Nest by Esther Ehrlich (I hope to write a longer review later. In a nutshell I can say, despite this book seeming long at times, the visual language, real characters (characters who questioned their own feelings, and struggled both internally and externally), love of family even when challenges seemed unbearable, connection to nature and birds, and the simpler life connected to games such as watching "water worms" race down the window during a rainfall made me nostalgic for the happier and simpler times of my own youth. Chirp, the main character, possessed a kindness and sensitivity toward a friend who desperately needed caring.)
• Young Adult--The Living by Matt de la Peña (I had trouble putting down this plot-driven disturbing and frightening story. The story included the catastrophe of ”the big one” (earthquake) hitting the west coast of the U.S., a pandemic, corporate corruption, a tsunami, a job on a cruise ship, and a protagonist who would be content with life had it remained adventure-free in his southern California town near the Mexican border. I think what disturbed me is that the plot did not seem totally implausible (although I don't know if the natural events, scientifically, could happen as they did). What I appreciated, when comparing this book to other stories I have read is that I didn't find myself saying things such as, “Come on! Give me a break!” as one horrible event happened after another. In some stories such ongoing occurrences of catastrophes seem overdone and unlikely. De la Peña managed to tie everything together in a way that seemed possible. I feel this book could be easily “sold” to teens in high school and possibly upper middle school who enjoy suspenseful realistic fiction involving danger, a mystery, and a relatable teenage main character who values family, likes girls, comes from a low income home and community, and is a survivor. On a side note, I just picked up the sequel, The Hunted at the library yesterday.)

There is no shame in reading a children's book as an adult.
As an adult in public.
Really.
This is just one girl's opinion.
~Tamara