Dr. Seuss's ABC

Dr. Seuss’s ABC is a whimsical and rhythmic introduction to the alphabet that delights both children and adults. With his signature playful rhymes and imaginative illustrations, Dr. Seuss turns each letter into a mini adventure, from “Aunt Annie’s Alligator” to “Zizzer-Zazzer-Zuzz.” The repetitive patterns and silly alliterations make it a perfect choice for early readers who are beginning to connect sounds with letters.

I love reading this book with young learners because it sparks laughter while reinforcing letter recognition and phonemic awareness. The colorful pages and creative wordplay keep children engaged, making learning the alphabet feel like play. It’s a timeless classic that continues to make ABCs fun for show more generations of readers. show less

There was a time in my life that I could recite this book by heart. When after reading each page, I would mention a part of the accompanying illustration, and a dimpled little hand would reach out and point at it. When the sounds of letters from that little person would start with “sss” for S and a recognition of “O” as the same shape as the little bits of Cheerios cereal.

Geisel’s imagination is on full display here, and what a wonderfully wacky way to learn the alphabet, especially compared with the more traditional books which preceded him. C’mon. “O is very useful. You use it when you say: ‘Oscar’s only ostrich oiled an orange owl today.’” How can you not love this book?

This is definitely not my favourite alphabet book, but it's still a cute example of Dr. Seuss's work. It's not surprising that Seuss would tackle an alphabet book at some point in his career, since no children's book author or illustrator has done it all without one, but after reading this example it is clear that Seuss's strength lies in his narrative or pure nonsense books and the box of the alphabet doesn't quite fit. There are plenty of his trademark rhymes in the text and a few of his imaginitive beasts, but the whole set doesn't quite hit the mark for me. Maybe he wrote this book too early, before his best ideas has been thought of, but I definitely feel like he wasn't quite as inspired by the alphabetic theme.

This book tackles the alphabet with typical Seussical flair. There's no storyline, just a variety of alliterative statements for each letter of the alphabet. Like with a lot of Dr. Seuss's books, these statements include a combination of the real and the fantastic. Usually I don't mind that about Dr. Seuss, but here I find it a bit strange. Do you really want to teach children that Z is for a "Zizzer-Zazzer-Zuzz"? Maybe that's just me, but I find random choices like that one to be counterproductive. At any rate, I have found that kids do love this book, so it could just be me. It's certainly a fine addition to any library collection, it's just not my favorite Dr. Seuss.

I adore Dr. Seuss, and find that most of his books excel in story telling. However, this picture book is not my favorite. It has many positive qualities. The zany sentence structures and unusual creatures are there, the fun play with language, the fabulous illustrations. Also, the font plays a role in this book, with different print sizes and explosive colors. Why am I not as impressed? The reading of it feels too chaotic. Generally, Seuss books employ chaos to a chosen effect, but this just feels out of control. The book goes through each letter of the alphabet, with words or phrases that correspond to the letter, but the pattern keeps changing. Sometimes the book uses the refrain "Big A, little a, what begins with a?" followed by the show more nonsense phrases, and sometimes it just prints the upper and lower case letters. At other times, it just writes an alliterative sentence. These pages are interspersed by the alphabet printed in block letters. Parents can certainly use the book for a fun approach to the alphabet, and kids will still like the word play and the illustrations. However, the story is a mouthful, and not much fun to read aloud. The book has too many great qualities to be really average, but it isn't great, either; it needs to be tied together in a more coherent package. show less

Education through entertainment for children with a quick, quirky poem facing a delightful Seuss fantasy drawing. I can't think of a better way to review the alphabet with a child, and look forward to the questions and comments it may spur.

Dr. Seuss’s ABC is my favorite ABC learning book that I read this week: it doesn’t force rhymes and each letter has a different silly sentence and illustration. Some pages have made up words, but they capture imagination in a way I think only Dr. Seuss succeeds in. A favorite page: “Many mumbling mice are making midnight music in the moonlight … mighty nice.”