The first is definitiely for younger children, it is called Paddington's ABC by Michael Bond, it is illustrated by John Lobban, devised by Carol Watson and was published by Picture Lions in 1991. ( It may well be out of print - if so - perhaps someone could revive it - that would be great ! )
I like it because of the bold and simple graphics. There is just one word illustrated for each letter, for example, for 'A a ' shows a very pleased Paddington bear holding onto an enormous green apple.
(nb : the small / lower case, and the big / capital letter are shown - which is quite useful. )
Paddington bear 's ABC provides a lovely introduction to immersing young children in the complexities of learning their letters. Most young children have their own special teddy bear, which is a comfort to them. Young children like to have a familiar object that they can carry around and cuddle. This is especially important when they are in unfamiliar situations, or they feel afraid or upset. The use of a bear and especially 'Paddington Bear' who is so friendly and funny is likely to make learning letters more enjoyable.
Paddington Bear is great fun, he is always doing the wrong thing and getting into mischief. He represents a child trying to understand a world that is at times very confusing and bewildering. The 'full' Paddington Bear stories by Michael Bond, are a must bedtime read for children aged from 5 or 6 years.
I digress - back to the matter in hand :
Learning letters is complex because they need to be known and recognised in three different ways :
1 at a visual level
2 at a sound level
3 in association with familiar objects / words.
Paddington's ABC when shared by an adult with a child achieves all three of these.
Another vital aspect when sharing a book with a young child is that the pictures invite comments and conversation.
For example 'I i ' is illustrated by Paddington dripping black ink on to the floor and making a mess, the ink is on his red coat, his nose and cheek. A discussion could result about how naughty Paddington is and how this is not very sensible. Each picture in turn invites questions and comments that will encourage a young child to speak, perhaps in single words at first, and attempt proper sentences later, especially as their confidence begins to grow.
Another example is 'M m' instead of 'mat' or 'man' the author has chosen, very appropriately for Paddington the word 'marmalade'. We should not be afraid of introducing longer or more unusual words, a child may find them difficult to say at first but with practise they should be able to do this. Marmalade is a three syllable word, there are three 'beats' when we say it, mar - ma - lade. It helps childrens speech development to say words properly, babyish words although charming should not be encouraged, always say / model words properly so that your child will copy your good example. When saying words with more than one syllable it is a good idea at first to exaggerate the different parts of the word. Become an actor, say them loudly and with expression - it may make your child laugh and make the learning process more enjoyable and fun. You may have to explain what 'marmalade' is, or even go out and buy some to try out the taste on toast !
It has to be said that Alphabet books are not just about pointing to the letters and saying the 'sound', they are also important for introducing and extending vocabulary / words.
A feature of 'Paddington's ABC' is that it is printed in very clear cut colours, and the primary colours of red, blue, yellow and green stand out particularly well. Therefore In addition to providing a learning opportunity for early reading skills, identifying and naming 'colours' could become a target too.
Towards the back of the book is a puzzle picture of the seaside and the child is invited to see how many things begin with 's'. There is the sun, seagull, sandwich, sandcastle, socks, and many other items to spot. This is another useful feature of the book which I like.
I'm afraid I've run out of time now, so my second favourite ABC book will have to wait for another day.
But I would love to know if you have a favourite ABC book that you would like to share with myself and anyone else who is interested.
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