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The Alphabet from A to Y, with Bonus Letter Z

(2007, Non-Fiction - Alphabet, Written by Steve Martin, Illustrated by Roz Chast)

  • Is it age appropriate?

    About our ratings

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    Not age appropriate for kids under 3, age appropriate for kids over 6; suggested age 6.

  • Is it any good?

    4.0

  • Common Sense says

    Wild and crazy alphabet humor best for older kids.

Why We Rated This on for Ages 6 and Up

What to watch out for

  • Messages:

    Some gentle name calling but most is pure silliness; reference to hunchbacks on the H page is the most offensive. Also, Clarissa is clunky, David is dog-faced, Jason is jerky, and N is filled with nerds, nitwits and nincompoops.

  • Violence & scariness:

    Not an issue.
 

What Parents Need to Know

About The Alphabet from A to Y, with Bonus Letter Z

Parents need to know that, though this is a very entertaining, clever, funny alphabet book, it really may not be appropriate for younger kids. Most little kids will not get much of the humor, and the joking references to alcohol and poop as well as name-calling are meant more for older readers. Also, phonics fanatics may be irritated by the mix of hard and soft sounds on the letter pages. However, older readers, including adults, will find this whole approach to the alphabet unique and very entertaining.

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Families Can Talk About

  • Families can talk about the hidden references to words beginning with a, b, c, and so on, in the illustrations. Can you find each one, and do you learn anything new from them?
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