As a kindergarten teacher, I'm required to read a lot of Alphabet Books. I'm not required to love them all. Many ABC books are simple list books that struggle to have any narrative. There's definitely a time and place for these type of books, but I love when an Alphabet Book also tells a fantastic story.
When I started teaching kindergarten, the go to book for the beginning of the year was Chicka Chicka Boom Boom. No doubt, this book is still near and dear to me. Children simply love the simple story and related to the 'little' letters running off from their 'parent' letters. Plus, there's a song. And it's a really fun song to sing. After enough repeated readings, we're singing this book, not reading it, and truly, who doesn't love more singing in kindergarten?
Recently, I've discovered two newer ABC Stories that I can't wait to share with my students. The first, Oops, Pounce, Quick, Run!: An Alphabet Caper by Mike Twohy is a story of a little mouse who is enjoying a nap until a ball bounces by and a game of chase from A to Z ensues. The illustrations remind me of the Saturday morning cartoons of my youth and I know kids are going to giggle with each ensuing antic.
The other, The Little Red Cat Who Ran Away and Learned HIs ABC's (the Hard Way) by Patrick McDonnell is beyond sweet. A little cat wakes from his nap, runs off and enters a fairy tale where each new page brings a new letter to go with the story. What I love about McDonnell's book is there is no text beyond the letter on each page so readers are left to investigate what on the page corresponds to the letter. For the trickier letters, there's a key at the end of the book.
I plan on students illustrating our own ABC chart in the classroom and I know these books are going to be a fantastic asset. What ABC books are your favorites? I'd love to hear in the comments.