Helen L. Wilbur

One of numerous themed alphabet-books put out by the publisher Sleeping Bear Press, M Is for Meow is a celebration of all things feline, with a dual narrative meant to appeal to both younger and older children. Each letter in the alphabet is accompanied by a simple rhyme in the center of the page (or two-page spread, as the case may be), as well as by a side-panel containing more detailed, factual information about whatever term is being presented: "G is for Grooming," "W is for Whiskers," show more and so on.

As a confirmed cat-lover, I fully expected to appreciate M Is for Meow more than I did. Of course, I did find the side panels very informative, discovering some things - like the fact that each cat's nose forms a unique pattern, much like human fingerprints - that were new to me. The illustrations, done by Robert Papp, were simply adorable! But the rhymes themselves were rather lackluster, and the organization of the factual information (as interesting as it was) felt rather random to me. I honestly don't see this one working very well, as an alphabet book, and think it has some flaws, as an informational book. Still, children who are getting a pet cat for the first time might appreciate the information, despite its organizational issues, and it is primarily to them, and to cat-lovers, that I would recommend the book. show less

This is primarily a picture book, but also has elements of poetry and history. Each letter has a small poem associated with it, having to do with some aspect of Greek mythology that goes with that letter. I didn't think that the poetry aspect of the book was any good at all. However, also on each page there were larger descriptions of things mentioned in the poem and/or drawn on the pages. These descriptions were a bit better, as they gave interesting information about Greek mythology, show more including about the relationships between the gods, and specific Greek myths (such as P is for Pandora's Box...). If a kid is really interested in Greek mythology, they may like this book, otherwise I wouldn't recommend it. Also, I'm sure there are better Greek mythology books to recommend to kids anyway. show less

Z is for Zeus is a fun poetic cataloging of some of the most famous Greek stories and characters. Each page brings another letter and poem mixing information and comedy to these famous Greek myths. I really liked the added information on each page detailing the characters or events that each poem is about, creating further interest for both children and adults. This is a great introduction to Greek mythology for readers of most any age.

This book describes the circumstances of WWII very well. The rationing and the victory gardens and all the small changes mentioned help readers understand the time. Beautifully illustrated.