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PRESCHOOL
Stein, Joshua David

The Invisible Alphabet

40 pp. | Penguin Workshop | September, 2020 | Trade ISBN 978-0-593-22277-5 $17.99 | Ebook ISBN 978-0-593-22541-7 $10.99
(2) PS Illustrated by Ron Barrett. This alphabet book explores abstract ideas and spotlights "invisible" objects. The text is straightforward, with each letter of the alphabet given its own page or double-page spread: "A is for Air / B is for Bare / C is for Clear." Barrett's scratchy black-and-white illustrations, enhanced with rusty-orange highlights, offer context: an open window; a child headed into a bathtub; a fish tank. Working to understand how each letter's word is being represented is part of the fun, and humor abounds. For example, "N is for Nothing" sits upon a blank spread. While characters and situations change throughout the twenty-six concepts, a bus stop serves as the hub for the story. It is shown through multiple seasons of the year, and it sets the stage for several scenes, many of them involving missing the bus ("D is for Delayed / J is for Just missed it / T is for Too late"). While perhaps not instructive for learning one's ABCs, this title offers a fresh perspective on the familiar alphabet book structure and affords viewers opportunities for close examination and discussion.
Reviewer: Elisa Gall | Horn Book Magazine Issue: November, 2020

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