Maurice Sendak is one of the most beloved children's authors of the modern age. His classic "Where the Wild Things Are" has been read to countless numbers of children and inspired all sorts of wild rumpuses. But Sendak was the author and illustrator of dozens of books for children and one of the cutest ones for preschoolers is "Alligators All Around: An Alphabet," first published in 1962.
The minimal text and clever illustrations show alligators engaged in all sorts of activities. Everything from bursting balloons to getting giggles to wearing wigs introduces young readers to vocabulary not usually included in children's books. Whether the book is read to pre-readers or those just starting to read spend time with the book on their own, the alphabet takes on a whole new life with this classic ABC book.
Each picture is surrounded by a thin black frame and shows the alligators engaged in the activity named at the bottom of the page. A large black uppercase letter appears first, followed by the text. A young alligator stands on a stool beside a jar of jelly beans, his arms are raised as he juggles. A father and son alligator stand before a sink full of dishes, the father washing and the son drying as the text at the bottom reads, "doing dishes."
Alphabet books have been popular since children's books have been published. The ABCs are the subject of a wide variety of books that use all sorts of topics to introduce children to the twenty-six letters of the English alphabet. While some are complex and others are simple, each one appeals to different audiences. "Alligators All Around: An Alphabet" by Maurice Sendak is one that is entertaining and educational; it is definitely worth adding to any collection of children's fiction.
Subscribe to the Eureka Preschools Examiner
Comments