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Alphabatics
A is for ark. But did you know that if you turn an A upside down and round the point out a little, it becomes an ark?
B is for balloon. But did you know that if you blow it up really big, the hole in the middle floats away like a balloon?
In this wonderfully creative alphabet book, letters are pulled, twisted, reversed, and curled until they become part of what they represent. F becomes a fish, and Y becomes a yak!
Young readers will be fascinated with the way the letters evolve into the final creation. They'll never look at the alphabet the same way again!
B is for balloon. But did you know that if you blow it up really big, the hole in the middle floats away like a balloon?
In this wonderfully creative alphabet book, letters are pulled, twisted, reversed, and curled until they become part of what they represent. F becomes a fish, and Y becomes a yak!
Young readers will be fascinated with the way the letters evolve into the final creation. They'll never look at the alphabet the same way again!
64 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 1986
5 people are currently reading
262 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 81 reviews
May 26, 2019
Have you ever looked at a cover and you groan because it looks like a book you don’t want to read? Then, you read the book and it’s confirmed what you felt from the cover. I know we aren’t supposed to judge a book by its cover, but there are times that cover shows perfectly who that book is. This is one of those books. I saw the cover and it was just what the book was.
The author takes a letter per full page spread and then has 4 boxes she shows that letter changing into the noun on the other side of the page. I guess it’s a cute concept, but this book simply wasn’t for me, I guess. It’s creative and a little like, why. I also want to know why this won a Caldecott. Was there not something better out there that year. I don’t believe this represents the best of 1986. I’m not buying it.
This is a beginning alphabet book. Nothing new here. It’s basically wordless. There is the word of the thing per page. The artwork did show imagination to some extent, but it was a little confusing in that it turned n upside down for nest, which looked like u, and it turned u upside down for umbrella, which in turn looked like n. The nephew doesn’t need this to be confused in his head any more than it can be.
The niece was not impressed. She gave this 1 star for being so young and she was not interested in reading it in the first place. The nephew enjoyed some of the animals, but generally he was above this book too. He has finally learned his letters. He gave this 2 stars.
Mostly, I have loved the books I’m exposed to reading the Caldecott list, but there have been a small handful that have been really terrible. It is only a few.
The author takes a letter per full page spread and then has 4 boxes she shows that letter changing into the noun on the other side of the page. I guess it’s a cute concept, but this book simply wasn’t for me, I guess. It’s creative and a little like, why. I also want to know why this won a Caldecott. Was there not something better out there that year. I don’t believe this represents the best of 1986. I’m not buying it.
This is a beginning alphabet book. Nothing new here. It’s basically wordless. There is the word of the thing per page. The artwork did show imagination to some extent, but it was a little confusing in that it turned n upside down for nest, which looked like u, and it turned u upside down for umbrella, which in turn looked like n. The nephew doesn’t need this to be confused in his head any more than it can be.
The niece was not impressed. She gave this 1 star for being so young and she was not interested in reading it in the first place. The nephew enjoyed some of the animals, but generally he was above this book too. He has finally learned his letters. He gave this 2 stars.
Mostly, I have loved the books I’m exposed to reading the Caldecott list, but there have been a small handful that have been really terrible. It is only a few.
May 13, 2016
Alphabatics Loved this one! So delightful, creative, interesting, involving. I really see why this received a Caldecott Honor. It's fascinating and fun to see how the letters morph into what they depict (for example, the letter "C" rotates and becomes the smile on a Clown; the letter "K" floats up and billows out to become a kite; the letter "T" sprouts extra branches and leaves to become a tree).
June 13, 2013
High on the list of all of my kid's favorites, this wonderful book uses unusual pictures to form the letters of the alphabet. Even if you already know the orders of the letters, we all had fun trying to guess how the pictures would form on each page. Highly recommended!
February 12, 2017
Caldecott Honor picture book. Yet another alphabet book. The idea was a good one, transform the letter itself into a word. But to me it ended up feeling cold and boring. The art did nothing for me. The word choice was uninteresting. And yet not bad, I just didn't like it.
October 22, 2017
Genre: Informational Non-Fiction
Grade Range: K-1
Review:
This is a very cool book that children will definitely love! I enjoyed watching the letters be transformed into the word from that letter. It's a great review of the alphabet for the students and can help them get excited about the alphabet.
Grade Range: K-1
Review:
This is a very cool book that children will definitely love! I enjoyed watching the letters be transformed into the word from that letter. It's a great review of the alphabet for the students and can help them get excited about the alphabet.
September 28, 2011
This ABC book shows each letter transforming into the word depicted on the page. It was a cute and simple, but not over the top.
January 5, 2017
The author is so clever in how she turns each letter into the picture.
February 26, 2020
Picture book – Caldecott
Caldecott winner
Preschool – 1
This book is an interactive book going through the letters of the alphabet and involves children in the actions that may help them remember the letters.
Thoroughly looking at the illustrations within this book, the reader can tell that it obviously deserves the award that it received as a Caldecott book. This but definitely fits in this category because of the excellent illustrations that it uses in this children’s book.
The illustrator uses bright colors within this book to really catch the reader’s attention. I think that at such a young age, color is something that will stand out to a child when they cannot read or comprehend the book.
I would read this book to a child during a one-on-one read aloud. The story time for this book would be very special, and it would be very beneficial for a young learner to see the color and illustrations within this book.
Caldecott winner
Preschool – 1
This book is an interactive book going through the letters of the alphabet and involves children in the actions that may help them remember the letters.
Thoroughly looking at the illustrations within this book, the reader can tell that it obviously deserves the award that it received as a Caldecott book. This but definitely fits in this category because of the excellent illustrations that it uses in this children’s book.
The illustrator uses bright colors within this book to really catch the reader’s attention. I think that at such a young age, color is something that will stand out to a child when they cannot read or comprehend the book.
I would read this book to a child during a one-on-one read aloud. The story time for this book would be very special, and it would be very beneficial for a young learner to see the color and illustrations within this book.
February 5, 2020
Author: Suse MacDonald
Illustrator: Suse MacDonald
Genre: Picture Book
Awards: Caldecott Medal, 1987 Golden Kite Award for Picture Book Text
Audience: Pre-school-1st grade
Alphabetics highlights the uniqueness of each letter in the alphabet. The letters all morph into the animal or shape associated with the letter for the page. Ex. The ‘H’ turns into a house.
A. This book is clearly an alphabet book because the content is dedicated to visually describing each letter of the alphabet.
B. The author uses line, shape and color to show how an ‘H’ can turn into a house or a ‘Y’ into a Yak. These creative drawings of letters morphing into creatures or objects helps children realize that letters can be used to build things.
C. I would use this book to help children learn the basic building blocks of the English language and practice beginning to read skills.
Illustrator: Suse MacDonald
Genre: Picture Book
Awards: Caldecott Medal, 1987 Golden Kite Award for Picture Book Text
Audience: Pre-school-1st grade
Alphabetics highlights the uniqueness of each letter in the alphabet. The letters all morph into the animal or shape associated with the letter for the page. Ex. The ‘H’ turns into a house.
A. This book is clearly an alphabet book because the content is dedicated to visually describing each letter of the alphabet.
B. The author uses line, shape and color to show how an ‘H’ can turn into a house or a ‘Y’ into a Yak. These creative drawings of letters morphing into creatures or objects helps children realize that letters can be used to build things.
C. I would use this book to help children learn the basic building blocks of the English language and practice beginning to read skills.
August 25, 2017
I am continuing my quest to read all of the Caldecott Honor books. Otherwise, I probably would not have read this one. Our girls are far too old for it and the cover didn't really appeal to me.
The illustrations are blocky and vibrantly colorful, with a lot of white space to focus the attention on the mutating letters.
Overall, it's a basic alphabet book. Nothing more. I'm sure it will appeal to very young children, but I've seen more interesting attempts.
The illustrations are blocky and vibrantly colorful, with a lot of white space to focus the attention on the mutating letters.
Overall, it's a basic alphabet book. Nothing more. I'm sure it will appeal to very young children, but I've seen more interesting attempts.
March 20, 2019
Genre: Picture Book- alphabet or counting book
Awards: Caldecott Honor
Audience: Grades Pre K-Kindergarten
A. This book is an alphabet book because it is all about the alphabet. The only words in the book are the letters of the alphabet followed by one word that starts with the given letter.
B. In this book, the illustrator used different compositions and organized each page to make it interactive for the reader. On each page with the given letter, the letter transforms into something that starts with that letter that is found on the following page. For example, on the "O" page, the letter "O" turns into owl eyes. On the the "D" page, the letter "D" turns into a dragons tail. This use of composition is very unique.
C. I would use this book in the class as a way to expose young children to letters and simple words. I would have this book in my class as an independent reading book for beginning readers. They can use this book to familiarize themselves with the letters of the alphabet and the sounds each letter makes.
D. What did the letter "F" transform into?
- The letter "F"turned into a fish.
Awards: Caldecott Honor
Audience: Grades Pre K-Kindergarten
A. This book is an alphabet book because it is all about the alphabet. The only words in the book are the letters of the alphabet followed by one word that starts with the given letter.
B. In this book, the illustrator used different compositions and organized each page to make it interactive for the reader. On each page with the given letter, the letter transforms into something that starts with that letter that is found on the following page. For example, on the "O" page, the letter "O" turns into owl eyes. On the the "D" page, the letter "D" turns into a dragons tail. This use of composition is very unique.
C. I would use this book in the class as a way to expose young children to letters and simple words. I would have this book in my class as an independent reading book for beginning readers. They can use this book to familiarize themselves with the letters of the alphabet and the sounds each letter makes.
D. What did the letter "F" transform into?
- The letter "F"turned into a fish.
June 27, 2012
This is a truly a unique alphabet book. I like how each letter morphs into the item that the letter starts with. For example, on page 1, The “A” changes color and water is added to the bottom of the box. Then the “A” is flipped upside down and then a little house structure is added to the top. Then on the next page, animals are added and the word “ark” is added the boat that appeared in the place of the “A.” It is in the same format for every letter. I really liked the fact that they not only show the two forms of the letter but an example of a word or object that starts with that letter. My favorite letter was the “d” transforming into a dragon. I thought this was a great way to show the correlation between the letter and words beginning with that letter. I really enjoyed the bright colors and the fun pictures. They made for an entertaining read. The books is as old as me but it is still a great read for children now because it is still relevant. This book would be appropriate for ages 3-5 approximately.
June 6, 2011
This reminded me of two other Caldecott-honor winners, The Graphic Alphabet and Gone Wild. This ABC book doesn't have text beyond the letter of the alphabet and the name of the item representing the letter. The star of this book are its illustrations! They show humor, movement, bright colors, and simple shapes while very cleverly morphing from a letter of the alphabet into an object representing that letter. I could see this book being helpful to some young students as they learn their ABCs. The illustrations would also be fabulous as a border along the top of a chalkboard in a classroom or school library. My favorites are E into elephant, F into fish, G into giraffe, K into kite, Q into quail, and S into swan.
April 9, 2012
Alphabatics by Suse MacDonald is a creative alphabet book where each letter is twisted, curled, pulled or reversed until they morph into an object starting with that letter.
MacDonald's illustrations portray the alphabet while creatively shaping the letters into different objects. My favorite images are ark, dragon, fish, house, kite, nest, plane, and swan.
Both upper and lower case letters are shown. While some of the tranformations are more of a stretch than others, the creativity shown here could spark some art class projects. With just one word per page this is a good choice for beginning readers, since the image shown is the word printed. A 1987 Caldecott Honor book, this is recommended for school and public library collections. 3.5 stars.
For ages 4 to 6, alphabet, beginner-readers, and fans of Suse MacDonald.
MacDonald's illustrations portray the alphabet while creatively shaping the letters into different objects. My favorite images are ark, dragon, fish, house, kite, nest, plane, and swan.
Both upper and lower case letters are shown. While some of the tranformations are more of a stretch than others, the creativity shown here could spark some art class projects. With just one word per page this is a good choice for beginning readers, since the image shown is the word printed. A 1987 Caldecott Honor book, this is recommended for school and public library collections. 3.5 stars.
For ages 4 to 6, alphabet, beginner-readers, and fans of Suse MacDonald.
December 12, 2016
Intro to ASCII art.
It's pretty simplistic. It's an alphabet book. There are so many of these out there, and it's very hard to do write. It's hard to do them decently, even. This is a decent one. But it's really not more interesting than any other non-terrible alphabet book out there.
Basically, it has a two-page spread of each letter and an object whose name starts with that letter. For example, "I" is for "insect," and it shows a lowercase "i" turning into an insect, with the stem splitting in half and the dot is the head, and the split part becomes the wings, and it gradually changes into an insect. It's kind of an interesting idea. It think rather than a book, it might be better as a series of posters. It's more like an art installation than a book. The artistic transformation is nice. I'm glad I read it, but I don't need to read it again. Check it out from the library.
For more children's book reviews, see my website at http://www.drttmk.com.
It's pretty simplistic. It's an alphabet book. There are so many of these out there, and it's very hard to do write. It's hard to do them decently, even. This is a decent one. But it's really not more interesting than any other non-terrible alphabet book out there.
Basically, it has a two-page spread of each letter and an object whose name starts with that letter. For example, "I" is for "insect," and it shows a lowercase "i" turning into an insect, with the stem splitting in half and the dot is the head, and the split part becomes the wings, and it gradually changes into an insect. It's kind of an interesting idea. It think rather than a book, it might be better as a series of posters. It's more like an art installation than a book. The artistic transformation is nice. I'm glad I read it, but I don't need to read it again. Check it out from the library.
For more children's book reviews, see my website at http://www.drttmk.com.
September 24, 2017
• 1987 Caldecott Honor Book •
I thought this was cute. There's 5 pictures for each letter, and it goes from the letter shape to the shape of an object. It was fun to look at and I thought the art was well done. There were a few times where there was a big jump between the 4th and 5th pictures, but overall the metamorphosis was pretty good. I had to do an art project like this when I was younger, and this might be a good book for younger kids to read then do a similar drawing.
As usual with these alphabet books, I felt like the word selection was really random. This book is mostly animals, with a jack-in-the-box, xylophone, house and a few other things tossed in. Why not just stick with all animals, or all all toys, or all instruments?
Materials used: unlisted
Typeface used: unlisted
I thought this was cute. There's 5 pictures for each letter, and it goes from the letter shape to the shape of an object. It was fun to look at and I thought the art was well done. There were a few times where there was a big jump between the 4th and 5th pictures, but overall the metamorphosis was pretty good. I had to do an art project like this when I was younger, and this might be a good book for younger kids to read then do a similar drawing.
As usual with these alphabet books, I felt like the word selection was really random. This book is mostly animals, with a jack-in-the-box, xylophone, house and a few other things tossed in. Why not just stick with all animals, or all all toys, or all instruments?
Materials used: unlisted
Typeface used: unlisted
April 17, 2008
A colorful and creative way to look at the alphabet; I couldn’t wait to turn each page and see how the next letter would transform. The illustrations are clean and bright, and bring a new perspective to the alphabet concept book. I would suggest this book for children who already have some familiarity with the alphabet, so that they’ll be stimulated rather than confused or distracted by the changing letter shapes.
CIP: “The letters of the alphabet are transformed and incorporated into twenty-six illustrations, so that the hole in ‘b’ becomes a balloon and ‘y’ turns into the head of a yak.”
This book was published in 1986, so reviews were hard to find, but SLJ’s was favorable and called it “a visual delight.”
CIP: “The letters of the alphabet are transformed and incorporated into twenty-six illustrations, so that the hole in ‘b’ becomes a balloon and ‘y’ turns into the head of a yak.”
This book was published in 1986, so reviews were hard to find, but SLJ’s was favorable and called it “a visual delight.”
May 7, 2013
Alphabatics is a unique alphabet book that shows each letter transform into an object that begins with that letter. For example, the letter ‘A’ flips over and becomes an ark, and the hole in the letter ‘b’ transforms into a balloon. It is fun and interesting to watch each letter evolve, each twist, turn, and change is shown in a series of illustrated boxes on one page leading to the final transformation and label of what it represents on the next. The illustrations are bright and colorful and show each transformation well so little ones can see each change along the way. Published over 25 years ago and a Caldecott Honor book, Alphabatics has certainly become a classic and children today will enjoy it just as much as those 25 years ago did.
May 23, 2016
Darling and engaging and so clever and creative! This is an alphabet book with just one word per double page spread. But what makes this such fun...and so worthy of the Caldecott Honor it received is that on the left side of the page, you see the letter and then you see that letter morph into the shape of the word it represents. For example, take an O. Double it. Now add dots in the middle and feathers down below. You have an owl. I love Y. Start with Y. Add a furry, rounded square below it. Round the corners of the Y and fatten the bottom and now you have a yak...with the Y making the face and horns. Or watch as m gets fatter and transforms into a mustache. Seriously, so fun!
April 11, 2019
Not my favorite illustration style but cute concept and my early reader liked using the visuals to "read" what the letters had morphed into.
January 24, 2016
Alphabatics by Suse MacDonald is a 1987 Caldecott Honor Winner.
Each letter is creatively transformed into the animal or things that is associated with the letter.
The letter transformations and illustrations are quite enjoyable.
Still in print as of 24 January, 2016.
Age Range: 5 - 8 years
Grade Level: Kindergarten - 3
Each letter is creatively transformed into the animal or things that is associated with the letter.
The letter transformations and illustrations are quite enjoyable.
Still in print as of 24 January, 2016.
Age Range: 5 - 8 years
Grade Level: Kindergarten - 3
May 1, 2019
Genre: Picture Book- Alphabet and counting
Awards: Caldecott Honor
Audience: pre-K-K
A: I know this book fits the category because it takes you through the whole alphabet and has words that start with each letter and pictures.
B: Each letter had a different color and the pictures had bright colors which gave an overall happy and bubbly feel. This allowing the reader to have fun with the book and focus on each letter at a time.
C: I would use this book with a group of children as I teach them the alphabet.
D: What was the word for J?
jack-in-the -box
Awards: Caldecott Honor
Audience: pre-K-K
A: I know this book fits the category because it takes you through the whole alphabet and has words that start with each letter and pictures.
B: Each letter had a different color and the pictures had bright colors which gave an overall happy and bubbly feel. This allowing the reader to have fun with the book and focus on each letter at a time.
C: I would use this book with a group of children as I teach them the alphabet.
D: What was the word for J?
jack-in-the -box
January 19, 2011
Alphabatics is a great book for introducing alphabetic order to young children. I think middle grades enjoy the illustrations of the book as well. I like to use this book for support to teaching alphabetical order and the many ways our world is organized in ABC order. I also like to use this book as a spin off for a creative drawing activity for students to take an alphabet letter and create something from the letter. Caldecott 1987 Honor book
March 11, 2014
My five-year-old son picked this book out from the library today. He is obsessed with alphabet books right now. Maybe because he can read them on his own.
I absolutely adored this book. The words chosen to illustrate the letters weren't especially unusual, but the illustrations were intriguing, enchanting, and nothing short of magical. I might have to add this book to our personal library. For me.
I absolutely adored this book. The words chosen to illustrate the letters weren't especially unusual, but the illustrations were intriguing, enchanting, and nothing short of magical. I might have to add this book to our personal library. For me.
September 2, 2016
Big bold letters, easy for students to see. Then there are four progressive pictures showing the lowercase letter slowly turn into the object that corresponds with the letter. Great for grades K-1 alphabet instruction. Also good for art instruction with older students. The illustrations are simple and clear, yet colorful and attractive.
April 30, 2016
5 Stars
Fabulous! As a trained animator I love the way letters morphs to reveal the image of the subject that begins with the letter. I also appreciate the plain, non-distracting background. Though the illustrations are a bit more simple than what I personally prefer, I love the brightness of the colours. This is by far the best Alphabet book I have ever seen.
Fabulous! As a trained animator I love the way letters morphs to reveal the image of the subject that begins with the letter. I also appreciate the plain, non-distracting background. Though the illustrations are a bit more simple than what I personally prefer, I love the brightness of the colours. This is by far the best Alphabet book I have ever seen.
October 2, 2017
This alphabet book is truly amazing. Suse MacDonald does a great job transforming a letter into a picture that beginnings with that letter. It’s a fun book for children and I believe children would remember more words by visually seeing the letters change into great objects. This is a great informational book.
July 29, 2018
The letters slowly transform into part of the picture which illustrates the letter: the hold in “b” becomes a balloon and the “y” turns into the head of a yak.
Bright colors, fascinating illustrations - pretty cool book.
Bright colors, fascinating illustrations - pretty cool book.
January 12, 2018
Alphabatics is a great book for children who are just learning their abc's. Cute book for young children.
May 11, 2018
A clever alphabet book where the letter is transformed into the object. Very fun.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 81 reviews