Review Detail

The Alphabet from A to Y with Bonus Letter Z is a cute addition to the alphabet picture book category from Steve Martin (yes, the actor, comedian, & writer Steve Martin and unlike some celebrity-turned-authors, he is a talented writer) and Roz Chast. However, it almost feels like it is more for the adults reading the book to their kids than the kids themselves.

I say this because there are many references throughout the book to things that I just wouldnt expect a kid today to have any clue about. They range from things that kids *might* know (like, say, the bottle of borscht in the B illustration) to ones that I wouldnt expect even my twenty-something-year-old sister to know much about (like Beatniks hey, she was born in the 80s). Some of these references are within the illustrations themselves, but others are in the text itself (would a kid today know what gravlax is?).

Not that its a bad thing to teach kids new words. Heck, thats some of what a book like this is for. But&do you want words like lowlife, nincompoop, nitwit, and indecent to be added to your four year-olds vocabulary?

As a general example, heres the text for the letter P:

Pedro the puppy piled poop on his paws

And Papa dog published his photo because

So, I guess what Im saying is that this book does have its cute moments (and its gross out ones too but goodness knows that many kids love to gross themselves out), but it might not be appropriate for all kids. Flip through it and decide for yourself whether or not it is appropriate for your family. Or heck, it would make a pretty funny coffee table book for people without kids.