Publishers Weekly
In A Pacific Alphabet by Margriet Ruurs, illus. by Dianna Bonder, each page features a painting and a letter, which dominates the corresponding rhyme; back pages list all 26 letters and the items pictured in the full-bleed wry paintings that begin with the featured letter. ( Nov.) Copyright 2001 Cahners Business Information.
Children's Literature
Two storytelling styles complement one another in this picture book. The text is a series of rhymed couplets, mostly alliterated, that tell a child's tale of realistic and fanciful experiences up and down the Pacific Coast. From "Albatross albatross up in the air" to "Zipping across the ocean" on a Zodiac the child explores nature (e.g., what lives in the ocean, what can be found on or near the beach, or how the weather can change). The child also runs into captains, pirates and lighthouse keepers, as well as mermaids, and looks for fairies in the rainforest or dreams of sailing to China. The elaborate, highly imaginative illustrations, however, tell a slightly different story. There are many children, not one, appearing in the illustrations, who interact with the environment. Each picture offers a treasure hunt of things that begin with a letter in the alphabet. A listing of what can be found for each letter is provided at the back of the book. These words are advanced and would open up discussion of things in nature. The book is appropriate for pre-readers (because of the catchy sound and the appealing pictures), beginning readers and more advanced readers. 2001, Whitecap Books, $19.95. Ages 4 to 8. Reviewer: Carol Raker Collins AGES: 4 5 6 7 8
School Library Journal
Gr 1-3-This book centers on our West Coast from Alaska to Mexico. Many of the rhymes are funny and enjoyable to read out loud. The "J" page reads, "Jellyfish, jellyfish,/how do you do?/I wish I could find/peanut butter fish,/too!" Children will like hunting for hidden letters and objects on each page, although they may be hard-pressed to come up with names for some of them, such as "jacksmelt" and "nimbostratus clouds." Such additions may make the book too difficult for younger children, for whom the illustrations may have the most appeal. The art is inconsistent. The flora and fauna are realistically drawn while the human figures are almost cartoonlike, resulting in a jumble of styles. And although the art portrays a number of creatures whose names begin with the letter in question, the illustrator also adds objects that seem to have nothing to do with the text, or with the Pacific. For instance, the "X" page shows an X-ray machine, and the "I" page shows such incongruent items as icicles, iguanas, irons, and ivy. The result is a book that loses its focus. Though this title purports to include the whole Pacific coast, the emphasis is on the Northwest. Those interested in an alphabet book with a similar theme might choose Andrea Helm's O Is for Orca (Sasquatch, 1995), which has stronger illustrations and text.-Alison Kastner, Multnomah County Library, Portland, OR Copyright 2001 Cahners Business Information.
