This author uses the alphabet to describe what makes a farm and how farms operate. From each letter of the alphabet an example is derived, describing a farm, food, or animal.
Age: 6-8 years
Source: Pierce County Library System

An Edible Alphabet is a book that gives twenty six reasons to love the farm. This book answers many questions such as where does it come from and how does it grow. The author uses alliterations to describe things on a farm that start with each letter of the alphabet. Some examples are: juggling jiggly jams and jellies, stink stank stunk and udders under umbrellas. The tasks that happen on a farm are explained as well as the different fruits, vegetables and bugs there are on a farm. This book is very informative and can be used for a multitude of ages. This books would be awesome for the child that loves to ask questions or knows someone that owns a farm. ( )

For every alphabet in this book there is a term and an explanation for how it is used on the farm. This is a good book for teaching science as well as vocabulary words to students. ( )

An edible alphabet: 26 Reasons to love the farm by Carol Watterson, illustrated by Michael Sorrentino

I’m always looking for new farm books. Living in a quasi-rural community, I’ve become aware there just aren’t too many realistic books about life on a farm (my own rural experience was shown to be painfully lacking when I visited a fifth grade class and my question of “what do you do that’s creative?” was met with the enthusiastic response, “Pig racing!” uh…wha…?)

Anyways, this is a really fun alphabet book with, once again, my favorite design – simple text for reading aloud to younger children and more detailed facts and information for older readers or one-on-one sharing. This book has multiple threads you can follow, a very simple one suitable for toddlers, longer sentences just right for preschoolers, and simple paragraphs for elementary readers and listeners. The book is packed with a plethora of food, creatures, machines and more. In order…
Ants on asparagus
Blueberries, beets, and beans
Clip, Clop, Crunch (carrots)
Dig in for dinner (root vegetables)
Eager ewes
Flip flop fry (fish)
Gaggle of giggling geese
Happy Herefords hiccupping home
Ice cold ice cream
Juggling jiggly jams and jellies
King-sized kohlrabi
Ladybug’s lunch
Making merry in the mud and muck (pigs)
Nibbling nectar (pollinators)
Oh! Overalls in the orchard (apples)
Pea pods pop!
The queen’s quivering hive
Reliable red rooster
Stink, stank, stunk (manure)
Tip top tasty tomato
Udders under umbrellas
Vegetable voyage
Woolly bears worry watermelons
Xtra-large eggs with yummy yellow yolks
Zoom zoom zuchinni
The text also includes rhymes, facts, silly stories, and more! The final pages include a list of words and images to find throughout the book.

The illustrations are bright and colorful, created in collage with acrylic and hand painted paper. Some of the faces are oddly structured, but the overall effect breathes enthusiasm and colorful life.

Verdict: This book is packed with so many different things, it’s a great choice for programs, storytime, reading aloud, and display. Highly recommended.

ISBN: 978-1582464213; Published July 2011 by Tricycle Press; Borrowed from the library; Purchased for the library

An Edible Alphabet: 26 Reasons to Love the Farm is a farm-focused ABC book. Each spread begins with a capital and lowercase letter followed by an alliterative and often silly sentence. Facts about the plants or animals featured on the page are abundant. Colorful collages from hand painted drawings and acrylics accompany each letter. While the text is both playful and informative, the use of various fonts and colors are distracting at times. Interactive prompts and intriguing facts may appeal to students, but overall the inconsistent delivery of information detracts from the overall cohesion. Suggested grade: 1-3. ( )