David Bouchard
Our most published and respected Metis author, holds numerous prestigious awards for his books published nationally and internationally, including the Order of Canada. He is a champion for literacy and an advocate for children.
There are many alphabet books on our bookshelves but to find one that is both fun and attractive and extremely well-researched is rare. I have found one in Alphabet Stage!
David Booth
National and international award-winning children’s author and poet
A full cast of colorful alphabet characters takes the stage in this concept book.
This work employs few words—usually only one (or two in the case of “ice cream”) per letter of the alphabet. But the way the authors encourage the interplay between those words, composed into action sequences that will demand rereading to investigate Nickolson’s eye-catching, painted illustrations, really sets this book apart. In Phillips and Hayward’s clever scheme, each new letter begins a sequence of four pages.
The first prominently features the capital letter in large, bold print. Beneath it is a word that begins with the letter. The pairing of the letter to the word provides readers with an example of a hard sound. A is for apes, which has the long vowel sound; G is for hard-G goose. The second page displays an inviting image of the featured word in isolation. The B page depicts a brown bear against a paisley background; the X page, a hand behind an X-ray screen. On the third and fourth page, a witty spread shows the alphabet characters interacting on a stage in assorted, hilarious poses. For example, the vibrant two-page spread for I (ice cream) reveals a young ape, who is dusting with a feather, wearing a stack of hats with an eagle sitting on top. Nearby, a deer eats an ice cream cone held by an adult ape, and a goose sits on cups while a brown bear naps at the corner of the blue curtain. The red empty seats in front of the stage exhibit the letters of the alphabet up to I.
Children will likely giggle at the silliness of the group’s escapades as the versatile animals (soon joined by a mouse and an ostrich) continue to use various objects as props, including a kite, a puppet, and an X-ray screen.
Young readers should delight in finding the alphabet representatives and applauding their amusing antics in this wonderfully detailed and inventive work.
Kirkus Reviews
A full cast of colorful alphabet characters takes the stage in this concept book.
This work employs few words—usually only one (or two in the case of “ice cream”) per letter of the alphabet. But the way the authors encourage the interplay between those words, composed into action sequences that will demand rereading to investigate Nickolson’s eye-catching, painted illustrations, really sets this book apart. In Phillips and Hayward’s clever scheme, each new letter begins a sequence of four pages.
The first prominently features the capital letter in large, bold print. Beneath it is a word that begins with the letter. The pairing of the letter to the word provides readers with an example of a hard sound. A is for apes, which has the long vowel sound; G is for hard-G goose. The second page displays an inviting image of the featured word in isolation. The B page depicts a brown bear against a paisley background; the X page, a hand behind an X-ray screen. On the third and fourth page, a witty spread shows the alphabet characters interacting on a stage in assorted, hilarious poses. For example, the vibrant two-page spread for I (ice cream) reveals a young ape, who is dusting with a feather, wearing a stack of hats with an eagle sitting on top. Nearby, a deer eats an ice cream cone held by an adult ape, and a goose sits on cups while a brown bear naps at the corner of the blue curtain. The red empty seats in front of the stage exhibit the letters of the alphabet up to I.
Children will likely giggle at the silliness of the group’s escapades as the versatile animals (soon joined by a mouse and an ostrich) continue to use various objects as props, including a kite, a puppet, and an X-ray screen.
Young readers should delight in finding the alphabet representatives and applauding their amusing antics in this wonderfully detailed and inventive work.
Kathryn Ritter, PhD
Listening and Spoken Language Specialist
This is the only alphabet book of which I am aware that takes advantage of the literacy research underpinning knowledge of the alphabet in children and its relationship to reading proficiency. Its precise use of sound symbol relationships – for example using words that start with the actual letter sounds – a for ape, X for x-ray etc. is an important feature, as is the letter placement on the page, the size of the font used and use of upper and lower case letters.
An additional and wonderful feature is the ability for children to make up stories about the pictures as they emerge on the alphabet stage – this makes it much easier for children to stay engaged for prolonged periods of time, and experience the kind of repetition that best supports learning of the alphabet and its relationship to speech sounds and literacy. It is a lovely and important addition to the world of alphabet books.