Publishers Weekly
"With each letter more hideous and mean than the last, this alphabet will supply kids with an abundance of insults. Gerstein panders to the baser impulses with gleeful good cheer. The bright oil portraits of the vile characters may well fire young imaginations," wrote PW. Ages 3-7. (Oct.) Copyright 2001 Cahners Business Information.
Children's Literature
- Judy Silverman
Some letters just seem to cry out for something to represent them besides the ubiquitous Apple, Ball, Cat, Dog, Elephant. "A" is not only Awful, to Mordecai Gerstein, but it's an Amphibian! and it is Annoyed. And each of the letters' sentences stretch a child's imagination. It is fun, thoughtful, and not your usual alphabet book. In terms of vocabulary, it's not for the youngest unless they love the sound of words-but most young children do. Words like Carnivore, Drooling, and Exterminate won't appear in spelling lists, but that could be a good thing for bright, bored children. Read it first, just in case you feel you might be bothered by Demons, Fiends, a Ghastly "G," or a Loony or Monstrosity. "V," of course, is a Vegetable Vampire.
School Library Journal
K-Gr 4-An alliterative abecedarian featuring some fairly ferocious fiends. Each letter, illustrated in oil with pen and ink, occupies a full page and poses some sort of threat to the following letter. While some of the characters are merely goofy, like L, "a lanky, lazy Loony in love...", others are more frightening, such as C, "a cruel, cantankerous Carnivore craving to consume...." Gerstein's language is marvelous and can be best appreciated when read aloud. Only a few letters fall a bit flat; Y is a "yucky young Yokel." The advanced vocabulary and the nature of the illustrations make this title more suited to older children, who will be better able to appreciate Gerstein's inspired silliness and exuberant monsters, than as a book to help younger children learn the alphabet.-Robin L. Gibson, Muskingum County Library System, Zanesville, OH Copyright 1999 Cahners Business Information.
Kirkus Reviews
Fiends and ghouls abound in a tongue-in-cheek take on standard alphabet-book fare. With "dreadfully dangerous, drooling Demons" and "malicious mealy-mouthed Monstrosities" this is not for the faint at heart. Gerstein reveals a diabolical skill at turning out alliterative phrases full of fiendish references for every letter in the alphabet. Every page contains the featured letter with several lines of text beneath; the letters form when gleefully gruesome creatures contort themselves into the appropriate shape. One monstrous vignette is linked to the next, creating a fantastical tale that encompasses the entire alphabet. Yet lurking behind each outrageous concoction of words is a broad stroke of humor that will appeal to children's love of the absurd. Neon colors serve as a backdrop for the mutant letters in this irreverent book, aimed at those who delight in the preposterous. (Picture book. 4-8) .
