Thematic Reading List: 10 ABC Books to Help Your Youngster Learn the Alphabet
Most parents grab summer beach books to take on vacation to keep their children occupied. But, why not set up your soon-to-be preschooler or kindergartner with the beginning skills he or she needs before starting school? Many ABC books provide a chance not only to learn the alphabet, but to also broaden vocabulary, begin phonemic awareness, and work on rhyming. Below is a set of ABC board books and picture books that provide one or more of these concepts. While some ABC books include a plot, the books chosen below are mostly plotless so that the young child and adult reader can focus more on the alphabet and vocabulary. Feel free to use the comment box to add your own personal favorites.
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Alphabet City By: Stephen T. Johnson Illustrations of objects in an urban setting present the letters of the alphabet. |
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Shiver Me Letters: A Pirate ABC By: June Sobel Illustrated by Henry Cole Having decided that the letter “R” is not enough for them, a bumbling band of pirates sets sail on a quest to capture the rest of the alphabet. |
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Picture a Letter By: Brad Sneed This offbeat, wordless alphabet book is a veritable feast for the eyes! Youngsters will enjoy flipping the pages of this zany tour de force. Each stunning page contains a detailed illustration featuring one multicolored image (in the shape of the designated letter) surrounded by a whimsical black-and-white scene. |
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Z is for Moose By: Kelly Bingham Moose, terribly eager to play his part in the alphabet book his friend Zebra is putting together, then awfully disappointed when his letter passes, behaves rather badly until Zebra finds a spot for him. |
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Alphabet Adventure By: Audrey Wood On their way to school, the little letters of the alphabet have to rescue little “i” and then find his dot before they can proceed. |
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Alphabet House By: Nancy Elizabeth Wallace Readers are invited to enter the alphabet house and view objects starting with the letters from A to Z that belong to a family of bunnies. On board pages. |
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Animal Alphabet By: Bert Kitchen Youngsters try to guess the name of each animal in this alphabet book, which contains an answer key on the last page. |
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We Read: A to Z By: Donald Crews Each letter of the alphabet introduces a concept that is also represented by an illustration. |
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Alphabet Under Construction By: Denise Fleming A mouse works his way through the alphabet as he folds the “F,” measures the “M,” and rolls the “R.” |
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Eating the alphabet: Fruits and vegetables from A to Z By: Lois Ehlert An alphabetical tour of the world of fruits and vegetables, from apricot and artichoke to yam and zucchini. On board pages. |