This warm hearted book is so much more than a simple alphabet book! It is a detailed loving portrait of a mother and her son as they live, learn, and grow each day.
Award winning Davina Bell, the author of many wonderful picture books has captured perfectly the chaos, ups and downs, moments of touching joy as well as the occasional despair of living with a lively toddler. Her rhyming text is richly and amply illustrated by Jennifer Falkner, also an award winning creator. What a dream team!
Each letter is not just for a familiar object, but also for feelings experienced throughout a busy day and important concepts such as ‘taking turns’ and ‘time to leave’. Here’s a sample:
Cis for crayons scrubbed over a wall
Coffee gone cold while we roll on the floor
Cute little curls at the nape of your neck
Cracker-crumb carpet the couch that you wreck
Each page is a delightful snapshot of a moment in ‘the life of’, filled with details that any parent will immediately recognise: disconnected train tracks on the floor, a lone sock, spilled food, riding high on grandad’s shoulders, stepping out in mum’s heels and necklaces, a quick kiss while washing up.
In the midst of all this there are moments of pure bliss expressed in exquisite double page spreads that break up the constant activity. One such is mum and bub sitting in the armchair in front of the fire reading a book, the relaxed cat lying on floor beside them (yes, the train tracks are still there too).
A lot of thought and attention to detail is evident here from the attractive endpapers which show items presented in alphabetical order so a child will learn the alphabet while naming each item, to the teaching resources available on the website.
Recommended for home and school libraries everywhere and as a thoughtful gift for new parents.
This warm hearted book is so much more than a simple alphabet book! It is a detailed loving portrait of a mother and her son as they live, learn, and grow each day.
