The Yummy Alphabet Book

February 1, 1995
Gr 2-4-As in most subject-oriented alphabet books, there are either many choices for a letter or not enough. Pallotta deals with this dilemma by having two Gs, for ginger and garlic, and U for Uva-ursi, also called bearberry, which is eaten only by bears. The watercolor illustrations are sometimes informative, sometimes mysterious. If readers want to know why there are balls of yarn and an eye chart on the "F is for Fennel" page, they must go to the last page, "Artist's Notes," to find that fennel is used in dyes and is supposed to improve one's eyesight. The goal of this book appears to be to educate in a lighthearted style; but there is no consistency, and the brief text is often forced and pointless. There are many alphabet books that are enriching, or imaginative, or funny, or aesthetically pleasing; this one is none of the above.-Carolyn Jenks, First Parish Unitarian Church, Portland, ME