B Is for Badger: A Wisconsin Alphabet

Discover America State By State

by Kathy-jo Wargin, Renée Graef (Illustrator)

The intriguing facts and faces, history and places of Wisconsin are revealed to readers young and old in "B is for Badger: A Wisconsin Alphabet." From its leaders in fine arts and architecture (Georgia O'Keefe and Frank Lloyd Wright) to its pioneers in nature conservation (John Muir and Aldo Leopold), Wisconsin has been an influence on major movements in education, industry, and use of natural resources. Brought to life with lyric rhymes and expressive, original artwork, "B is for Badger" showcases for natives and visitors alike the splendors of Wisconsin.

Born in Tower, Minnesota, Kathy-jo Wargin has spent a great deal of time in the upper Midwest. Previously, she teamed up with illustrator Gijsbert van Frankenhuyzen on the award-winning Legend series, including "The Legend of the Lady's Slipper" (Upper Midwest Bookseller's Favorite). "B is for Badger" is her fourth state alphabet book. She lives with her family in Petoskey, Michigan.

Renee Graef is new to the Sleeping Bear Press family but is very well known as a children's book illustrator for the "American Girls" collection with Pleasant Company. She has also illustrated for Boyd's Bears and is the illustrator of HarperCollin's "My First Little House" series. Renee attended the University of Wisconsin and the University of Madison; she lives in Milwaukee with her family.

Genres: Picture Books, Nonfiction, Geography, Childrens

40 pages, Hardcover

First published May 13, 2004

About the author

Kathy-jo Wargin is the bestselling author of more than fifty books for adults and children. With more than 1.2 million copies sold, she writes across genres and age-groups, and has earned national recognition for award–winning titles such as Michigan’s Official State Children’s Book The Legend of Sleeping Bear, the International Reading Association’s Children's Choice Award Winner The Legend of the Loon, the Bank Street College of Education Best Book Listee The Voyageur’s Paddle, the IRA Teacher's Choice Award Winner Win One for the Gipper, and many more.

Reviews

[Elizabeth · Rating 4 out of 5]

Part alphabet book, part state history. Illustrated by Renee Graef, a favorite illustrator. She has a great Instagram that I would recommend.

[Carolynne · Rating 3 out of 5]

Alphabet book has somewhat awkwardly rhymed text, but some good supplemental information in the sidebars on each page. Some choices are inevitable: "D is for Dairy," "H is for Horicon Marsh," at 32000 acres one of the largest in the U.S. Some choices are surprisingly informative, at least to me: "A is for American Water Spaniel," apparently the only dog native to Wisconsin; "K is for Kindergarten," since the first kindergarten was started in Watertown. But some choices are befuddling: Aldo Leopold is on the J page along with John Muir,founder of the Sierra Club, even though "L is for Lake Michigan" is given two whole pages by itself; and "Y is for Yellow Corn," and a little miniature honoring Native American Ceremonial Dancing is smack in the middle between the V and W pages, though it is not mentioned in either verse or sidebar. Was the author planning to add something on Winnebagos, perhaps? There is a sidebar on Native culture on the N page, but with all the different Indian nations who have lived in Wisconsin, only a small dream catcher represents them pictorially. There are some questions and answers for readers at the end.
All in all though, I think even Wisconsin kids will learn something from this book. It is attractively illustrated by Renee Graef, who illustrated the Kirsten books in the American Girls series (Hey, "A is for American Girl dolls and books"! They began in Middletown, Wisconsin.)

[Christine Terrien · Rating 5 out of 5]

I appreciate that there are short rhyming blurbs (for younger kids), as well as more in depth descriptions of the Wisconsin items (for older kids).

[Dave · Rating 5 out of 5]

It’s an alphabet book, so if you’re expecting depth of content, this isn’t it. I like the quick rhymes that introduced the topics, and then sidebars told more in-depth information. This is a bit longer of a read aloud for Classroom Book A Day, but it’ll be made up for by having a shorter book to average out times. :)

To be honest, now I’m interested in checking out ones from my home state and my wife’s home state.

[Beth · Rating 5 out of 5]

These books are appropriate for all ages and great for coffee tables.

[Sueb · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great alphabet book. As a Wisconsinite, I thought this book was a great reflection of the state of Wisconsin. The pictures are fantastic. I like how there were paragraphs about each site, song, symbol, resource etc in addition to the verse.

[Kim · Rating 4 out of 5]

B is for Badger, but not the animal. Badger is the nickname for miners who made their homes in holes they made in the ground.

[Lizzy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lovely art and learned some interesting things. The organization is weird and the rhymes are not great. But overall informative and covers a wide range of topics.

[Hope · Rating 5 out of 5]

WD in WI

[Ruhama · Rating 5 out of 5]

A really nifty way to explore the alphabet and Wisconsin history! Each letter of the alphabet represents one of Wisconsin’s state symbols, people, products or fun places to visit, giving readers a fun look at our great state! Those that want a bit more information can view the sidebars of facts on each page/letter. The pictures are colorful and accurately depict what the sidebars describe, while the lyrical prose enhances the page (though sometimes it borders on cheesy...heh, get it? cheesy?). This probably is best for one on one reading, and will be a great addition to Wisconsin history sections, as well as alphabet books.

[Jen · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed reading this book! It's an alphabet book that describes all things Wisconsin in it. While some are obvious, D is for Dairy and P is for Packers, others are not. I did not know that A which stood for American Water Spaniel in the book, is the only native dog to our great state and believed to be one of only five native dogs to the United States! I also did not know that the typewriter was invented in Wisconsin. For those wanting more information on the topics mentioned in the story, they can read the passages in the sidebars.

[Theresa · Rating 3 out of 5]

pictures, history, facts, information and ideals about wisconsin