“P Is for Pterodactyl: The WORST Alphabet Book Ever (All the letters that misbehave and make words nearly impossible to pronounce)” is truly the BEST book ever! First of all, it’s brilliant — from the choice of alphabet words and for the text that explains what the words mean, and the words and text and illustrations combined make it really humorous, as well.
For example, “B is for Bdellium. We doubt that anyone knows what bdellium is, but it’s the only word dumb enough to begin with a silent B.
As is the case throughout the book, the authors use words containing the silent letter (or letter that is not pronounced “properly,” in the text that defines the alphabet word. So for the letter “B,” they use “doubt” and “dumb.” Certainly these authors are anything but “dumb.”
Other brilliant letters include “G is for Gnocchi. The gnome yells, “Waiter! There’s a bright white gnat nibbling on my gnocchi!”
And “F is not for Photo, phlegm, phooey, or phone. F is only for “foto” when you speak fluent Spanish at home.” The letter K was relatively simple with, “K is for Knight. The noble knight’s knife nicked the knave’s knee.”
The Glossary is touted as “And now… The Worst Glossary Ever!” It’s not.
This is definitely a fabulous choice for the home or school library and classroom. Teachers, pick a silent letter (or vowel with a different sound) and challenge the kids to find as many words as they can!
Please note: This review is based on the final, hardcover book provided by Sourcebooks Jabberwocky, the publisher, for review purposes.
Kevin Zimmer with a bright cheerful palette. It’s the story of a red dump truck, a green flatbed truck, a blue concrete mixer, and a little yellow pickup truck, all working together to build a children’s park. Little Yellow waits impatiently as the other trucks carry away trash, mix concrete, and bring in lumber. Then Big Green brings in the swings and slides, benches and tables. What will there be left for Little Yellow to do? Don’t worry, Little Yellow has an important job to make the park just perfect! Zimmer manages to create great expressions on the vehicles and kids will love the story of the little guy, worrying and impatient, who finally gets to do his job. (Sleeping Bear Press)
