Pretty much everything by Amy Krouse Rosenthal is going to be looked at by me. Humor, whimsy, love--they are must reads. I had never heard of this one before picking it up at Loussac library in Alaska. I saw it was an ABC book and the illustrations were intriguing, so it went home with me.
And it IS an ABC book, but not how I was expecting it. I thought I was getting an alphabet book with an awkward picture of the kids playing on a xylophone when we got to x.
But no! How could I have doubted Rosenthal?
This book only contains phrases that start with ABC, in that order.
All Begins Cheerily
Amusing breakfast chatter
Adorable Baby Coos
Apples, Bananas, Cantaloupe.
On each page, I was anxious to see how she continued the story while staying true to the format.
The story isn't deep--it is really just a day in the life of a kid.
And half way through the boy switches to a girl.
But the story of a day in the life of a child moves smoothly along.
Alive. Beloved. Content.
There is so much confidence and safety in this phrase.
A lot of Amy Krouse Rosenthal books are shot through with love and care and this one, while being mostly a gimmick book is no different.
I really want to try this scheme out with a grade or two this year--could we tell a story using specific letters of the alphabet over and over?
