The Sailor's Alphabet

by Michael McCurdy

A traditional alphabet "chantey" captures the spirit of the songs sung by sailors in the 1800s while providing a stem-to-stern tour of a U.S. Navy frigate.

Genres: Childrens

32 pages, Hardcover

First published March 30, 1998

About the author

Michael McCurdy was an American illustrator, author, and publisher. He illustrated over 200 books in his career, including ten that he authored. Most were illustrated with his trademark black and white wood engravings, with occasional color illustrations. His illustrations often have historical or natural themes.

Reviews

[Dolly · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wonderful illustrations, created using scratchboard, hand tinted with watercolors, are the highlight of this alphabet book/sea chantey.

[Sandra Vicars · Rating 3 out of 5]

The preface for the story is more interesting than the actual book. Understanding what a chantey is, I had a hard time figuring out how you would create a sing-song rhythm. The pictures included plenty of detail. The words and the descriptions, while providing insight to a sailor's life, were not very interesting.