L Is for Lincoln: An Illinois Alphabet

I bought this book for one reason: "Now Q is for Quincy, she was rough and ready. The first fire engine in our state; let's go boys, hold her steady!" I was born & raised in Quincy, Illinois and when I saw this book on a shelf at a conference in Chicago, I promised myself I'd buy it if my hometown qualified for mention. So it did. And so I did. This book is subtitled "An Illinois Alphabet" and is part of a nationwide series. Every state in the union has its alphabet book with titles like S Is for Show Me (Missouri) and E Is for Empire (New York). I don't know if these book are really great for learning your A, B, Cs but, if you feel connected to your state, they are fun books to read. In addition to the short verse for each letter, these books contain longer passages in the margins giving more detailed information and the artwork by Mr. van Frankenhuyzen is quite enjoyable. Ultimately, this is a book that would have to be shared between an adult and child. I can see myself using the verses to help teach my child to read and then sharing the more difficult marginal passages. I think a child learning to read would have a tough time with these. But maybe having an adult and child share the reading chores is not such a bad thing. Find your state and share something of it with your children.

Kathy-Jo is a state treasure of Michigan, where she has been creating her unique books for children (and their parents) for many years. She has worked on other volumes in the fabulous SLEEPING BEAR state alphabet series, including the "M IS FOR MITTEN" book which describes her own home state of Michigan (with its two hands across the water of the upper and lower peninsula, that look a bit like mittens, especially to the young'uns). And also she is responsible for V IS FOR VIKING (Minnesota of course) and the B IS FOR BADGER volume which gives us a peek at Wisconsin the cheese state. But has she ever written a book as filled with fun and info as L IS FOR LINCOLN AN ILLINOIS ALPHABET? I don't think so. It's a natural for her, a state so big and boisterous she could have written two books about it. Did you know that the original Ferris Wheel was built in Chicago and it could carry whole classrooms filled with kids in one car? Yes, up to fifty people crammed in! Kathy-Jo's little rhymes carry the day, with everything from favorite dishes to the natural landmarks of our beloved Illinois.

L Is For Lincoln is another great book is what is becoming an impressive series of books. In this one, readers travel across the state of Illinois and learn lots of great history, culture and tidbits! The illustrations are very nice and the rhymes flow easily for reading aloud to children. If you are familar with this run of books, then this one won't disappoint you. L Is For Lincoln is a welcome addition to the series that features titles like S is for Sunshine(Florida), V Is For Volunteer(Tennessee) and M is for Maple(Canda). If you are new to these books, you may find yourself spending alot of time traveling around North America from your favority easy chair!

Another great collaboration for the Wargin-Van Frankenhuyzen team. This is a terriffic book and the poetry / informative text makes it a great read for preschoolers through late elementary ages. Along with the fabulous pictures, the author once again has combined an enjoyable read with a great history lesson on the state of Illinois. The pictures are so well done, that they compell you to want to read more about each place or event. An altogether great book for your children's library.

When my children were young I began collecting state alphabet books. It was a way we all learned about our states. Some were good , some were not so good. This "L is for Lincoln" is a wonderful learning tool for readers of all ages. It's format has poetry as well as side-bar information for older readers. The bright and creative illustrations are marvelous. I hope the author and llustrator do more state books. This book holds the title "the best" in my collection of over 200 alphabet books. Buy it you'll like it.