Alphabet Books
Curriculum Materials Center
William Paterson University
Ada, A. F. (1997). Gathering in the sun: An A B C in Spanish and English. New York:
Lothrop, Lee & Shepard Books. (Grades K-3).
A book of poems about working in the fields and nature’s bounty in Spanish and English.
Call number: j861 Ada
Base, G. (1987). Animalia. New York: H. N. Abrams. (Grades PreK-5).
An alphabet book with fantastic and detailed pictures.
Call number: PJ Bas
Brown, M. (1974). All butterflies; An ABC. New York: Scribner. (Grades PreK-2).
Pairs of words, such as “All Butterflies,” “Cat Dance,” and “Elephants Fly,” are set
against illustrative woodcuts.
Call number: PJ Bro
Carle, E. (1974). All about Arthur (An absolutely absurd ape). New York: Watts. (Grades K-4).
To cure his loneliness, Arthur the ape travels from city to city meeting other animals.
Call number: PJ Car
Chwast, S. (1991). The alphabet parade. San Diego: Harcourt Brace Jovanovich. (Grades K-4).
Whimsical characters and animals in a parade represent the letters of the alphabet.
Call number: PJ Chw
Chwast, S. (1969). Still another alphabet book; ABC… New York: McGraw-Hill. (Grades K-4).
The letters of the alphabet are presented with an illustration and a word beginning with
that letter is hidden in a picture.
Call number: j793.7 Chw
Crews, D. (1984). We read: A to Z. New York: Greenwillow Books. (Grades K-2).
Each letter of the alphabet introduces a concept that is also represented by an illustration.
Call number: PJ Cre
Duvoisin, R. (1952). A is for the Ark. New York: Lothrop, Lee, & Shepard. (Grades K-3).
Noah loads the ark with two of every animal, using the alphabet as his guide.
Call number: PJ Duv
Ehlert, L. (1989). Eating the alphabet: Fruits and vegetables from A to Z. San Diego: Harcourt
Brace Jovanovich. (Grades PreK-3).
An alphabetical tour of the world of fruits and vegetables, from apricot to zucchini.
Call number: PJ Ehl
Emberley, E. (1978). Ed Emberley’s ABC. Boston: Little, Brown. (Grades K-3).
Animals engaged in a variety of activities introduce the letters of the alphabet.
Call number: PJ Emb
2
Farber, N. (1975). This is the ambulance leaving the zoo. New York: Dutton. (Grades K-2).
A cumulative tale introducing city scenes in alphabetical order from ambulance to zoo.
Call number: PJ Far
Feelings, M. L. (1974). Jambo means hello: Swahili alphabet book. New York: Dial Press.
(Grades K-2).
Presents a word, with English translation for each of the twenty-four letters in the Swahili
alphabet while explaining East African customs.
Call number: j496 Fee
Fisher, L. E. (1978). Alphabet art: Thirteen ABC’s from around the world. New York: Four
Winds Press. (Grades 4-8).
With a variety of visual forms Fisher introduces alphabets used today around the world.
Call number: j745.61 Fis
Hoban, T. (1987). 26 letters and 99 cents. New York: Greenwillow Books. (Grades PreK-2).
Color photographs of letters, numbers, coins, and common objects introduce the alphabet,
coinage, and the counting system.
Call number: PJ Hob
Isadora, R. (1983). City seen from A to Z. New York: Greenwillow Books. (Grades K-2).
Twenty-six black-and-white drawings of scenes of city life suggest words beginning with
each letter of the alphabet.
Call number: PJ Isa
Johnson, S. (1995). Alphabet city. New York: Viking. (Grades PreK-2).
Photographs of objects in an urban setting present the letters of the alphabet.
Call number: PJ Joh
Jonas, A. (1990). Aardvarks, disembark! New York: Greenwillow Books. (Grades K-4).
After the flood, Noah calls out of the ark a variety of little-known animals, many of
which are now endangered.
Call number: PJ Jon
Krull, K. (2003). M is for Music. Orlando, FL: Harcourt. (Grades K-4).
An alphabet book introducing musical terms, from allegro to zarzuela.
Call number: j780.3 Kru
Lionni, L. (1968). The alphabet tree. New York: Pantheon. (Grades PreK-2).
A strong wind blows most of the letters off the alphabet tree with the remaining letters
hiding in the branches. A bug and caterpillar come along and teach the letters how to
form words and sentences forming a special message.
Call number: PJ Lio
Lobel, A. (1994). Away from home. San Diego: Greenwillow Books. (Grades PreK-3).
Proceeds through the alphabet using boys’ names and the names of exotic places in
alliterative fashion.
Call number: PJ Lob
3
Lobel, A. (1981). On Market Street. New York: Greenwillow Books. (Grades K-2).
A child buys presents for A to Z in the shops along Market Street.
Call number: PJ Lob
Lyon, G. E. (1989). A B Cedar: An alphabet of trees. New York: Orchard Books. (Grades K-4).
An alphabet book introducing the leaves from a variety of trees.
Call number: PJ Lyo
MacDonald, S. (1986). Alphabatics. New York: Bradbury Press. (Grades K-2).
The letters of the alphabet are transformed and incorporated into twenty-six illustrations,
so that the hole in “b” becomes a balloon and the “y” turns into the head of a yak.
Call number: PJ Mac
Martin, B. (1989). Chicka chicka boom boom. New York: Simon & Schuster Books for Young
Readers. (Grades PreK-3).
An alphabet rhyme/chant that relates what happens when the whole alphabet tries to
climb a coconut tree.
Call number: PJ Mar
McLeod, B. (2006). SuperHero ABC. New York: HarperCollins. (Grades K-4).
Humorous SuperHeroes such as Goo Girl and The Volcano represent the letters of the
alphabet from A to Z.
Cal number: PJ McL
Micklethwait, L. (1992). I spy: An alphabet in art. New York: Greenwillow Books.
(Grades 1-4).
Presents objects for the letters of the alphabet through paintings by famous artists.
Call number: PJ Mic
Montresor, B. (1969). A for angel; Beni Montresor’s A B C picture-stories. New York: Knopf.
(Grades K-3).
Each letter of the alphabet is represented by several objects whose names begin with that
letter. A separate section includes the names of the objects and suggestions for stories
about them.
Call number: PJ Mon
Oxenbury, H. (1983). Helen Oxenbury’s ABC of things. New York: Delacorte Press.
(Grades PreK-2).
Illustrations of various things accompanied by appropriate labels introduce the letters of
the alphabet.
Call number: PJ Oxe
Pelletier, D. E. (1996). The graphic alphabet. New York: Orchard. (Grades K-4).
Pelletier uses color and design to introduce the alphabet in an artist’s view using
whimsical illustrations.
Call number: PJ Pel
4
Provensen, A. (1978). A peaceable kingdom: The Shaker abecedarius. New York: Viking
Press. (Grades PreK-2).
An illustrated alphabet rhyme that includes the animals from alligator to zebra.
Call number: PJ Pea
Rankin, L. (1991). The handmade alphabet. New York: Dial Books. (Grades K-5).
Presents the handshape for each letter of the American manual alphabet accompanied by
an object whose name begins with that letter.
Call number: PJ Ran
Schories, P. (1996). Over under in the garden: An alphabet book. New York: Farrar, Straus,
Giroux. (Grades PreK-4).
An alphabet book of plants and animals found in the garden.
Call number: PJ Sch
Shannon, G. (1996). Tomorrow’s alphabet. New York: Greenwillow Books. (Grades K-3).
Today A is a seed and tomorrow it becomes an apple, this unique introduction to the
alphabet will stimulate you to think of many more possibilities for each letter.
Call number: PJ Sha
Stevenson, J. (1983). Grandpa’s great city tour: An alphabet book. New York: Greenwillow
Books. (Grades PreK-2).
Drawings portray grandpa touring the city, encountering objects, animals, and people
whose names begin with a particular letter of the alphabet.
Call number: PJ Ste
Van Allsburg, C. (1987). The alphabet theatre proudly presents “The Z was Zapped: A play in
twenty-six acts.” Boston: Houghton Mifflin. (Grades K-3).
Depicts how A was in an avalanche, B was badly bitten, C was cut to ribbons, and the
other letters of the alphabet suffered similar mishaps.
Call number: PJ Van
Wilbur, R. (1998). The disappearing alphabet. San Diego: Harcourt Brace. (Grades K-6).
A collection of twenty-six short poems pondering what the world would be like if any
letters of the alphabet should disappear.
Call number: j811.52 Wil
Wildsmith, B. (1963). ABC. New York: F. Watts. (Grades PreK-2).
Each letter of the alphabet is represented by a drawing, mostly of animals.
Call number: PJ Wil
Prepared by
Pat Moore
September 2008