Alphabet City

by Stephen T. Johnson

The urban landscape will never look the same again. As Stephen T. Johnson demonstrates in a series of strikingly realistic pastels and watercolors, a simple sawhorse can contain the letter "A" — while lampposts alongside a highway can form a row of elegant, soaring Ys. A 1996 Caldecott Honor book, this sophisticated, wordless alphabet book is sure to appeal to young and old alike.

Genres: Picture Books, Childrens, Art, Nonfiction, Photography, Juvenile, Pre K

32 pages, Hardcover

First published October 1, 1995

About the author

STEPHEN T. JOHNSON’s inventive children’s books explore a wide range of subject matter and concepts that stimulate playful yet profoundly rich engagement through words, art and ideas. He is the recipient of a Caldecott Honor, two New York Times Best Illustrated book of the Year awards, three ALA Notables, two Gold and two Silver medals from the Society of Illustrators in New York City, and the 2004 Governor’s Art Award for Individual Artist by former Kansas Governor, Kathleen Sebelius.

His drawings and paintings are in numerous private collections including those of musician Paul Simon and actress Cherry Jones, and in the permanent collections of Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh Pennsylvania, the New Britain Museum of American Art in Connecticut, and the National Portrait Gallery at the Smithsonian Institution in Washington D.C. Among his public art is a 66-foot mosaic mural at the DeKalb Avenue Subway Station in Brooklyn, New York, a 58-foot mosaic mural at the Universal City Metro Station in Los Angeles, California, and 33 glass panels for the Dallas Love Field Airport, in Dallas, Texas.

Reviews

[Calista · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is another alphabet book and I have to say that there have been many recently in the Caldecott list and I was dreading this. Yet, I really enjoyed reading this. It is slightly different than what we have seen previously.

Stephen did a fantastic job with this wordless beginning book. He painted these scenes of a city, but it looks like pictures of a city. He finds natural structures that create a letter of the alphabet naturally. It’s fun to see the pictures and instantly understand that it is also a letter. I love his ’T’, ‘E’, and ‘F’. Well ‘B’ was pretty cool too. I’m very impressed with this and it does change your perspective of the city we live in and what makes it up. It was so much fun.

The niece and nephew both got into this as they saw the letters and it blew their mind like it did mine. We play the ABC game in the car where you find words with the next letter of the alphabet. They want to see if we can play this game of finding the letter in a structure somehow. The niece had fun with this and she gave it 4 stars. The nephew thought this was amazing and he gave it 5 stars.

[Mir · Rating 4 out of 5]

This would be of especial interest to New Yorkers, as all the sites used as letters seem to be there, but it could also be used as the basis for fun-educational activities like making a similar project in your own area (i.e. finding the letters in your surroundings).

Johnson is a fine realist painter. So fine, in fact, that it quickly occurred to me that he could just as well have used photographs and saved himself a ton of work! Seems like the effect would have been pretty much the same. But here speaks a lazy person, and one who enjoys photography -- presumably the author wanted to paint. I'll definitely have a look for more of his work.

[Manybooks · Rating 4 out of 5]

Yes indeed, as someone who (although generally and mostly rather more textual than concretely visual) often does tend to visualise, to locate, multiple different images within given works of art, I massively enjoy Stephen T. Johnson's Alphabet City (and while a select few of the depicted urban alphabet images could be, perhaps, a bit difficult to easily discern, most are actually more than readily identifiable as specific letter shapes). But that being said, I would not necessarily consider Alphabet City as a suitable tool for actually teaching younger children their letters. However and in my opinion, as an alphabet review for older children, Alphabet City should likely work great, providing both a fun and engaging letters of the alphabet review, whilst at the same time also presenting much artistic food for thought (namely that letter images, that different object contours, can often be found in multiple areas and environments, and that especially modern metropolises with their many buildings, industrial constructs and machines are literally teeming with discoverable images, and of course not just letters either).

Finally, as to the illustrations themselves, they are simply brilliant (and well deserving of the Caldecott Honour designation for illustrator/author Stephen J. Johnston). And albeit I realise that Johnson's individual urban letter images for Alphabet City are in fact paintings, the amount of minute and specific depicted detail almost makes one think that the painted images are actually photographs (and while on its own, Stephen J. Johnston’s artwork for Alphabet City would thus likely be almost a bit too intensely photographic for my own personal aesthetic tastes, as the visual accompaniment for an urban abecedarian, it does indeed work really well, it is a true artistic gem).

[Amy · Rating 2 out of 5]

I don't know why I keep checking out alphabet books for the kids. I guess I'm hoping to reinforce the alphabet for my nephew, but it is rare that the kids really get excited over these kind of books. This one was no exception. My nephew was supremely bored by this book, so he barely even looked at it. As for my niece, the kids in her class have been learning about book awards when they have library day, so lately she's been on the look-out for Caldecott winners or Caldecott Honor books. After we finished this one she exclaimed, "How is that book a Caldecott?!" I guess this was just another "meh" alphabet book for them.

[Luisa Knight · Rating 3 out of 5]

If your child knows their alphabet, they'll enjoy trying to find the hidden letters in each picture!

Ages: 4 - 6

**Like my reviews? I also have hundreds of detailed reports that I offer too. These reports give a complete break-down of everything in the book, so you'll know just how clean it is or isn't. I also have Clean Guides (downloadable PDFs) which enable you to clean up your book before reading it!

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[Mitchell Friedman · Rating 4 out of 5]

Caldecot Honor picture book. Simple but awesome alphabet book idea. Basically letters found on the street, but paintings not photographs. The letters are clear and obvious but still imaginative and the art itself is well executed. It makes you look and think.

[Laura · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a unique and artistic alphabet book, especially good for children from preschool through early elementary, who will have fun picking out the shapes of familiar letters in everyday objects—some of which are less obvious than others. From the side of a sawhorse that resembles the letter A to the fire-escape that looks like a Z, each page shows the photorealistic painting of the letter in its urban setting with no text to distract the reader. Well deserving of its Caldecott Honor, this book can encourage children to look at everyday objects in a new way while reinforcing their letter knowledge.

CIP: “Paintings of objects in an urban setting present the letters of the alphabet.”

Hornbook gives Alphabet City a favorable review, calling its “handsome, realistic paintings…a tantalizing exercise in visual perception.” SLJ also reviews it favorably, and notes that it manages to be both a traditional alphabet book and an art book.

[Jenny · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have seen this book before but I don't think I have ever read it. I was really impressed. Johnson found the alphabet in a variety of locations around a city and then painted realistic pictures of each letter. I can imagine reading this with a young child and then embarking on our own search for alphabet letters as we are out and about. Even without young children, I suspect I will be more aware of letters I pass as I walk and drive around my city. What especially amazed me is that most of the scenes are objects I have seen many, many times and most I have never noticed that they are in the shape of an alphabet letter. (For example, E in a streetlight turned sideways...or B in a set of stairs on the side of an apartment building.)

[Dolly · Rating 4 out of 5]

With paintings created with pastels, watercolors, gouache, and charcoal on hot pressed watercolor paper, the letters of the alphabet are depicted in everyday urban scenes.

The images are so realistic that they often appear to be photographs, and I was very impressed with the author's ability to see art and language in the city's infrastructure.

This book was selected as one of the books for the November 2016- Caldecott Honor discussion at the Picture-Book Club in the Children's Books Group here at Goodreads.

[Katie Fitzgerald · Rating 4 out of 5]

My favorite thing about this book is that the artwork was found in real life and photographed. As a children’s librarian, I’m constantly preaching the importance of print awareness, and this book really emphasizes the fact that early literacy learning opportunities are quite literally around every corner. I love the fact that Johnson manages to see letters in such interesting places. My favorites are the P on the end of the handrail, the R formed by cracks in sidewalk stones, and the T, which is made of the negative space between buildings.

[Mary · Rating 1 out of 5]

The letters of the alphabet are illustrated by photos taken around the city, with everyday objects forming the letters. By B, I was lost. And I know the alphabet. I can’t imagine a toddler being able to pick out the B formed by the fire escape. A clever idea. Well done. But over the heads of children learning the alphabet.

[Randie D. Camp, M.S. · Rating 4 out of 5]

Johnson challenges readers to find all 26 letters hidden in objects found in the city.

[emyrose8 · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wordless, photorealistic paintings of city things that could be found in any city. Each page features one letter. Very cool! Would be good to intro an art assignment of making an alphabet from pictures in nature.

[Cristhian · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lovely

[Lawrence Palmer · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book has no words but does allow children to see the letterforms in real-world situations. For example, the picture that has the letter A shows a kind of barrier but makes the letter A. It allows children to find and trace the letterforms and learn their letters.

[Emily Birecki · Rating 2 out of 5]

I thought that this book was very clever and artistic. The beautiful illustions feature pictures of the city. It is very creatively done. This being said, UI do not think that it will hold a child's attention. I feel like unless they are being told which letter is which children will not know. I think wordless books can be very effective and very unefective depending on how it is done. This is one of those books that becomes uneffective becuase the child will not be engaged with the illustrations, since, I myself am bored with the illustrations. I think that this book would have been much better if it used brighter colors to keep children engaged.

[SamZ · Rating 4 out of 5]

1996 Caldecott Honor - Favorite Illustration: The B fire escape! It is so creative and took me a minute to see it!
I love this collection of illustrations that show the details commonly found in a city. I appreciated the author's note that he had rules for himself when it came to finding letters, and I really enjoyed looking for his inspiration in each painting. Beautiful alphabet and concept book.

[Luann · Rating 3 out of 5]

I like the concept behind this, but somehow the execution of it didn't really bowl me over. Although I can definitely see why it won a Caldecott Honor. And I did like it more after reading the author's note - which I missed my first time through. This is an alphabet book worth looking at, but it would be pretty far down on my list of favorite alphabet books.

[Anthony · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoyed the concept of this book. I think that getting kids to spot the letter in ordinary objects can make the book a lot more interesting for kids. However, I did find that some of the letters were hard to see, even when you knew what to look for.

[Melissa Mullins · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book. It was fun to find the different letters in the pictures. It was a unique view on where you can find things throughout our world. I think it would really help children use their imagination. Also, it gives children a new perspective of the world around them!

[Beverly · Rating 4 out of 5]

If the verso of the title page did not state that these illustrations were pastel, watercolor, gouache and charcoal paintings, I would have sworn they were photographs. Very creative and unique.

[Annette Taylor-james · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is wordless, however the pictures give creative minds a chance to be just that more creative. Place it in your Art area.

[Bailee Coots · Rating 3 out of 5]

From the title of the book alone, I knew it was going to be about the alphabet. What I did not expect was the fact that there no actual words used in the book. It took me a minute at first to understand it, the fact that the alphabet was shown through everyday city objects. I personally felt that some of the objects representing the letters in the alphabet were hard to find. For example, the letter Q is represented by a train tire on a track, but I can not outline the “Q” in the picture. Others that were more difficult for me to outline, for the most part ended up being able to find them after taking a good look at the pictures. After analyzing this story, I feel as if the concept is directed toward the right age group of preschoolers, but that the actual book would be challenging for them. For me to be 20 years old and still struggle on finding certain letters within the everyday city objects says something. The alphabet is one of the first things young children are taught and at there age, the concept and the visualization of the letters aren't fully developed. I do see the children struggling with this book trying to depict the letters out. The artwork in this book ties together the title of the book. The title is Alphabet City, hence the word “city” and the pictures represent the alphabet, but through different areas around a city. For example, there are ariel views of parks, lamp posts, stop lights, where trees are planted, sides of buildings and many more landmarks around a city. The actual artwork in the story is interesting to me. It is representational art but also realistic. They accurately depict the scenes as they would appear in real life. Its almost as if someone went around a city, took photos, and turned them into life like drawings. The details in each picture are so intricate, no detail goes unnoticed. For instance, for the letter G, there is highlight on the lamp post to show the sun glaring off of it. The colors used throughout the book are either extremely bright or dull. Each page the colors differ from one another. On one page you might have all bright colors with blues, greens and yellows, that pop out at you. On other pages though, the colors are dull. For these pages you would have a lot of browns, grays, and whites but also colorful colors just faded out. Another element used throughout the book is perspective. In each picture you are viewing a different perspective of the city. Like I mentioned before, there are aerial views of parks and other areas throughout the city as well as views as if you were looking up at something or at eye level. The cover of the book is a dust jacket. It wraps all the around the actual book. On the front cover, there is the title in big red lettering and a picture of the first picture in the book, representing the letter A. The back cover of the book has smaller condensed picture, of the last picture in the book representing the letter Z. So both of the first and last pictures within the book, were used for the front and back of the cover. The front flap gives insight to what the book will show readers. How you find letters of the alphabet through everyday objects. The back flap shows a picture of the illustrator and gives background on his accomplishments. All of the pages in the book are single page illustrations with the exception of two. The other two pages are double page spread and run through the gutter of the book. Ways in which I would use this particular book with children would be to show them that you can find the alphabet in everyday life. Teach them that objects they play with or drive by everyday could very well have a letter hidden within in it. It also helps the children to practice the alphabet.

[Gabi Loveday · Rating 4 out of 5]

When I first encountered _Alphabet City_, I was taken aback by how simplistic and yet sophisticated and detailed it is. Since it is a wordless picture book, it requires that readers “read into” the illustrations with the purpose of discovering a letter from the alphabet in each image. This book is likely made for young children who cannot yet read full words but are learning how to identify, write, and sound out their letters. With this in mind, I do consider this book age appropriate, as the child can see and experience a variety of scenery from the city to nature, and learn to see letters in items or places they might be familiar with in their everyday life. However, my only concern is that in some of these images, the letter is not obvious, and for a child not completely comfortable with the shapes of letters yet, it might be difficult or even frustrating for them to identify all 26 letters. This book has won a Caldecott Honor in 1996 for its sophisticated illustrations, but perhaps the most interesting thing about the illustration is that, while it is made to appear as if each image were a real picture taken, each image is actually hand painted by Johnson. According to the information on the copyright page, the illustrations in this book were created using various techniques including watercolor, gouache, pastels, and charcoal, all on “hot pressed watercolor paper.” The painted aspect creates a bit more whimsy than a straightforward picture from a camera, and Johnson’s pictures are impeccably painted, striking a balance between realism of a landscape as it appears in real life, and impressionism, as the edges are slightly blurred and the colors and lines are a bit softer. The reader may be able to detect these details as they closely examine the pictures, searching for the hidden letters. For example, the leaves surrounding a crack in the pavement that forms the letter “R” are a bit softer and not as crisp as they would be in a real picture image, and the sky behind the letter “L” forms a soft, cloudy pastel backdrop to the city. The front cover depicts an illustration which forms the letter “A,” and the back cover has an illustration that forms a “Z,” which ties the beginning and ending of the book to the beginning and ending of the alphabet, another subtle way to help children become familiar with their letters and begin to associate them with a certain order. When using this book with children, I might first guide them through and help them identify the letters, while also pointing out and asking about different items such as benches, lamp posts, trees, etc. After they read this book, I would likely use it as a basis for a learning experience and take them outside, encouraging them to find more letters hidden in their very own backyard and world around them.

[Patrick Hamill · Rating 4 out of 5]

Recommended Grade Levels: K-3
Themes: Perspective, art, creativity
Summary:
This is a book of a collection of paintings. Each painting in this book is in an urban setting. The first painting is of a wooden construction barrier, which also depicts the capital letter “A” from the side view. The next is of a zig-zag fire escape, which also forms a capital letter “B”. This pattern continues throughout the book, highlighting each letter of the alphabet in alphabetical order. City surroundings that are included in this artistic compilation are of up-close objects, such as the detail in an ornamental keystone, as well as far away glances, such as that of a skywalk connecting two tall buildings together.
Personal response:
This book encouraged me to look at my surroundings anew. When I was perusing this book, at first I had trouble adjusting my perspective to see the letter and not simply what I would normally see when walking through the city. After a few pages, however, I was able to adjust my perspective and look for what I normally would not. I appreciate that the book helped me in this way, as now I am able to see letters and other designs in my immediate surroundings. I most likely would not have immediately noticed these details before this book. I am inspired to go forward and find the most creative photographs I can take around my own town of letters that spell out my own name and my wife’s name together.
Note about illustrations:
These illustrations were created by Stephen T. Johnson with gouache, pastels, watercolors, and charcoal. He used hot pressed watercolor paper. The pictures are almost life-like with their detail and color. There is not text to accompany the pictures except for the letters that are highlighted in the picture itself. Johnson uses a variety of perspectives, from up close looking at cracks in the stone ground to far away looking at bridge scaffolding that reaches up past the clouds. These pictures can speak to children through their beckoning to change one’s perspective. They speak to the thought that places that may seem dreary and commonplace at first actually hold more than what may be seen at first glance.
Reader Response/Classroom Connections:
This book can be used as inspiration to have students create their own artwork from what they see around their neighborhood. They may choose to spell out their name or an inspirational word. Then, using a camera and with the help of an adult, they may scavenge the area around their neighborhood to find the letters that they need. Once all of their letters have been caught, they may print them out on computer paper and assemble them so that their word is created in full. These creations may then be displayed throughout the classroom.
As this book helps readers adjust their perspective, students may discuss with each other how they may adjust their perspective and see their school in a different light. This may be as a small ant, as a large giant, or as a new student coming in from another country, for example. Once students have come up with a handful of new perspectives, they may work together to write a short story about their school from one of these new perspectives. After the books are complete, groups will take turns sharing them with the rest of the class.

[Julia Denton · Rating 4 out of 5]

Alphabet City is an interesting concept book for children which encourages children to search for letters in each painting. The story has no words on the page, only paintings of large cities (perceivably New York City) and each painting has something shaped like a letter. The book is great for preschoolers, but should be targeted for preschoolers around 3-5 (once children have developed skills to understand and know the ABCs and have begun to start processing perceptual attributions to what they are seeing). The purpose of this book is to help develop perceptual skills by finding the shapes/letters in a much larger picture.

The book has won the Caldecott Honor Award and was recognized as a notable children's book in 1996.

The artwork in this book is the main component and Johnson does a remarkable job of creating lifelike paintings. In the beginning of the book, he lists that he created the artwork with pastels, watercolors, gouache, and charcoal on hot pressed watercolor paper. The pictures are beautiful but not as vibrant as most children's books tend to be. He uses darker colors and the yellows, reds, and blues tend to have a deeper undertone to them. Each page has an everyday object within the painting that resembles a letter from the alphabet. A yellow sawhorse "A", a red and yellow building sign shaped like an "I", or silver subway handrails shaped like the letter "P". His work is exquisite but it can, at times, be hard to decipher which could potentially be difficult for readers who are only beginning or have just mastered their ABCs. The pages are smooth, with a white boarder surrounding the paintings on each page of this paperback book.

The book would be great to use while having children search for the letter themselves or to have them tell you what letter they see when you point to it. You could encourage children to find letters in their everyday surroundings (i.e. their classrooms, their homes, the playground, etc.). The book can spark creativity in children and encourage them to look for things they normally would not look for.

I deducted 1 star from my review because I felt that this book could be difficult for young children who have only begun to master the ABCs or are just learning to read because some of the letters aren't as obvious as they probably should be. (The brown fire escape Z is hard to understand at first). Other than that, Johnson has done a wonderful job at creating an interesting tool to help children better understand fundamental necessities such as the ABCs.

[Hannah · Rating 4 out of 5]

I thought Alphabet City was a unique picture book that contained realistic illustrations of the alphabet that children could look for in a real world context. I enjoyed the story and I think that if I were reading this to a group of children it would leave plenty of room for add-in instruction; for example you could trace the letters with your finger as you read to show letter formations. This book does not list a specific age but instead says great for all ages. I think that the simplicity of this book would allow the book to be used for different ages, because teachers could think of endless activities for various ages. I think this book would best serve 3-5 year olds who are dabbling in letter recognition and formation because the book shows letters from a real life scenario and it would be a way to let young children try to find the letters on their own. The artwork brings each letter to life in a book with a realism style. Each illustration is a done in pastels and water colors. A medium that will grab the eyes of small children. The first illustration is a wooden sawhorse that makes the shape of the letter “A”, with a sidewalk, rocks, and dirt in a neutral background. These realistic illustrations will draw children in with their color and design as children search to discover the letters on each page. I think this choice of medium helps to really bring the city theme to life and is a great way to attract readers to search for the letters. The front cover of the book does a great job of both drawing your attention as well as giving readers a sample of the illustrations that can be found on each page of the book. I would use this book in a small group scenario and do a picture walk with preschool or kindergarten aged children, offering children a chance to come up and trace the letters they see with their own finger to work on letter recognition and letter formation skills.

[Emily Hatch · Rating 3 out of 5]

This novel caught my eye and took me by surprise. I was shocked that this is intended for the age of preschool children. I struggled with finding some of the letters; however, it is an alphabetical sequence which makes it a little bit easier. The front cover shows an A made out of wooden panels, and the back cover shows a Z made out of balcony stairwells. The story holds all 26 letters, too. After looking through the pages multiple times, I grew to like this sophisticated book more than my initial glance. However, I do think that this novel is inappropriate for the intended age group. I think it is a little too advanced, and should be intended more so for Kindergarteners. Preschoolers are just now learning the concept of what the letters look like, and I think it may be far more difficult to spot letters. The artwork in this novel shows the complexities of the outside world through realism and shows how letters can be hidden in everyday life. I think children would think these illustrations are interesting. I doubt that they have ever seen everyday things as letters before, and this will engage them to take this concept outside of the classroom. There is an aerial view of crisscrossing walkways in a park that form an H. The dust jacket prefaces this book and where the letters will be found. He writes, “Look closely!” This will force children to think outside of the box when searching through the single-page illustrations. Stephen T. Johnson uses a mixture of watercolors, oils, and pastels creating images that look like real photographs. The colors are rather subdued, and they do not overtake the reader’s attention. I would use this book to further children’s knowledge with the alphabet. I would also use it as a foundation for imagination and creativity. Letters can be found just about anywhere with the right mindset, and I think it is important that children take that with them throughout their life.

[Katie Galbato · Rating 3 out of 5]

For this book, I would rate it a solid three stars. The book in general was easy because there was no reading. However, I am 23 years old and I even had some difficulty finding some letters. The book shows a picture of each letter in the alphabet in a real-life scene. For example, “B” was outlined in a set of stairs. The letters are not written on the picture nor are they shown clearly in each photo. I don’t think this is appropriate for children in preschool. I feel this is a bit more complex and should be shown at earliest in kindergarten when children’s minds are developed more. This book has been honored as A Caldecott Honor Book. The artwork is the entire understanding of the book, as it shows the letters in unlikely places. I think children might be confused when looking at this book if they haven’t been exposed to the city. They may be more concerned about where the picture is rather than finding the letter. I do think the book still gives a lot of information, it’s just rather difficult to pick out each letter and makes a child’s mind work harder than it should at such a young age. The pictures have a strong texture, as one can see the high contrast in color. They are all photos from real-life scenes. The dust jacket cover gives an inside look of what the book will portray. It has the first image in the book (the letter “A” shown in a construction scene) on the dust jacket cover. The flaps on the dust jacket tell what the book is about, rather than having it on the back of the dust jacket cover. The book rarely uses double page spread except for the letter “N.” The book creatively shows the flow by showing a bridge with multiple “N’s” within the structure. If I were to read this book to children in preschool, I would be reading this multiple times rather than just once. I feel like some of the letters are hard to notice. With being exposed multiple times, I feel this would help the brain development and understanding for the children.

[Morgan Hatcher · Rating 5 out of 5]

Alphabet City by Stephen T. Johnson is an incredible book for both young kids and older students alike. This is a Caldecott honor book that allows students to not only explore a big city, but learn the letters of the alphabet while at it. This book allows children to experience reading without even seeing a single word on the page. Alphabet City shows students unique forms of different letters throughout the alphabet in a city setting. Illustrations like a sawhorse set up to make the letter A, or a patch of grass arranged in the letter D allows students to view letters in a whole new way. The illustrator uses the artistic medium of both pastel and watercolor paint to show realistic views of the city. The paintings are so realistic they almost look like photos. The art takes up the entire page without a boarder, which shows the importance of the illustration itself. I believe this book is very appropriate for the intended readers because it allows kids to engage with letters whether they can read full words or not. Children love this book because the interesting pictures help them to stay interested in the story, and it is almost like a scavenger hunt to find the letters amongst the city scene. The artistic style of this book is realism or representational art. This style best fits the story because the pictures accurately depict city scenes. I would use this book to show the importance of knowing letters, and help students to work on the alphabet in a unique way. This is a much more fun way to work on alphabet letters than simply doing a worksheet. That being said, it would be fun to let the students pick a certain letter and let them draw their own city scene which incorporates that letter some way. This is a great book that helps students understand the importance of knowing the alphabet, and learning it in a whole new way.