ABCers

May 14, 2012
Five children exit their brownstone buildings to explore the neighborhood in an uplifting alphabet book. From sidewalk to playground, the children take on different roles based upon the play activity of the moment: “P is for Piggyback riders.
Q is for Question askers.” Muted colors, strong ink lines, and chalky backgrounds create a feeling of serenity and open space, despite the city environment, while the children’s expressive features and bright clothing highlight their creativity, movement, and joy. An ideal read for a sweet summer afternoon—directly followed by outdoor play. Ages 3–up.

August 1, 2012

PreS-K-This cheerful alphabet book has lively illustrations and kid-focused entries like "giggle givers" and "ice cream lickers." Kids of multiple ethnicities romp together in a neighborhood park, providing a nice sense of community. They play on monkey bars, in a fountain and a sandbox, etc., and in the final layout, they've collapsed together on a couch for a nap. The endpapers are an entertaining bonus, providing a map of the residential block and park where the different letters are represented. Children will enjoy tracing their fingers over the dotted route and recalling the action matched with each letter. The book is printed on earthy brown paper, and the artwork is rendered in a mix of thick black lines and rich colors in ink and pastels. A fun, educational, and socially thoughtful purchase.-Alyson Low, Fayetteville Public Library, AR

Copyright 2012 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

Starred review from September 1, 2012
Preschool-G *Starred Review* Longtime team Schaefer and Morgan offer one of their best books to date in a fun, fresh take on the ABCs. Especially important in the title is the ers. Those three letters make the children in the book doers, and the audience will be delighted with the things they do. The first spread shows children leaving two brownstones. One group has a pigtailed older sister pulling along blond twin brothers. From the other building come two African American siblings of about the same age as the girl. First, the Arm linkers sit outside. B is for Book readers, so the sister and the twins start reading away. C is for Color drawers, and the brother and sister duo chalk a lion on the sidewalk. Wandering through the alphabet, we learn that these children are Hot dog eaters, Piggyback riders, and Race runners. A couple of the actions may be a bit confusing ( Owie getters ), but kudos for the Xylophone plinkers. In Morgan's terrific artwork, the children cavort around sandy-colored pages looking a little like moving woodcuts with their black outlines around bright colors. There's lots of exuberance on display here, but there's also plenty for teachers and parents to point to when it comes to wordplay. The lettered map on the endpapers adds a nice note.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2012, American Library Association.)

January 1, 2013
Five city-dwelling kids of varying ages and ethnicities enjoy one another's company while taking advantage of what their neighborhood has to offer in summer, one letter at a time: "A is for Arm linkers," "B is for Book readers," etc. These homespun descriptors are an inspired way to introduce the alphabet, and the loose, happy illustrations couldn't be more inviting.

(Copyright 2013 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)