I don’t think people will ever stop writing (and illustrating) alphabet picture books and I continue to be surprised and amused by the unusual ways the ABCs are presented. I plan to share an array of these books in the coming months, beginning with five of my current favourites.
LMNO Peas by Keith Baker (Beach Lane Books, 2010)
Each page features a large letter of the alphabet covered in adorable green peas working and playing, from acrobat peas to zoologist peas. I never get tired of the rhyming text and detailed illustrations.
Bear Is Awake!: An Alphabet Story by Hannah E. Harrison (Dial Books for Young Readers, 2019)
“What would you do if A Bear Came to the Door? A. Run! B. Scream! C. Give the bear a warm hat and head to the library for advice.” With just a word or two on each page, this clever story uses fun illustrations to tell a complete story about a bear and the girl he befriends.
Adventures with Barefoot Critters by Teagan White (Tundra Books, 2014)
A charming illustration and one sentence highlight words beginning with each letter of the alphabet. The book also goes through the year, with a few letters devoted to each month. Feeding ducks, inventing rockets, raking leaves, and writing letters are just some of the activities covered.
Work: An Occupational ABC by Kellen Hatanaka (Groundwood Books, 2014)
From Aviator to Zookeeper this picture book shows one occupation for each letter of the alphabet, with no other text. Some unusual ones include mountaineer, skateboarder, and xenologist. Minimalist illustrations. It ends with “want ads” describing each job in one or two punny sentences.
Compost Stew: An A to Z Recipe for the Earth by Mary McKenna Siddals, illustrated by Ashley Wolff (Tricycle Press, 2010)
A rhythmic, rhyming list of compostable ingredients. Fun, colourful collage illustrations feature kids, a dalmatian, and a goose. At the end a rhyming note explains what things cannot be composted.
We discovered the Barefoot Critters books in Lake Placid last fall; they are adorable.