A Seaside Alphabet

Detailed paintings accompany an unusually sophisticated text for a picture book: "Musquodoboit mariners steam mussels in the mist", "Keen Kejimkujik kayakers sight belted kingfishers", and "Avid anglers, Angus and Anna, anchor on the arm." Many of the terms are explained in the glossary. Students can discover objects listed in the back of the book in each painting, a challenging activity for those who do not live on the coasts. While it is doubtful that most children who are beginning to learn the alphabet will have the vocabulary background to understand the text unaided, they can meet the challenge with a patient adult guide.

A Seaside Alphabet combines learning the alphabet with discovering the seashore. From windsurfing in Maine to riding the rapids on the Shubenacdie River in Nova Scotia, A Seaside Alphabet is a beautiful and informative way for children ages 6 and up to master the alphabet and discover the fun, wonder, and joys of the coast. Donna Grassby's clever and entertaining text is perfectly framed beneath Susan Tooke's "museum quality" paintings.