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The Alphabet Book
P.D. Eastman, the author of Go, Dog, Go! and Are You My Mother? takes you on a silly romp through the alphabet.
From American Ants to a Zebra with a Zither, there are laughs in store: an elephant on eggs! A walrus in a wig!
And there's a handy alphabet down the side of each page so that everyone can keep track of where they are in the ABC's.
From American Ants to a Zebra with a Zither, there are laughs in store: an elephant on eggs! A walrus in a wig!
And there's a handy alphabet down the side of each page so that everyone can keep track of where they are in the ABC's.
32 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1974
53 people are currently reading
1191 people want to read
About the author
P.D. Eastman
69 books792 followersPhilip Dey "Phil" Eastman was an American screenwriter, children's author, and illustrator. As an author, he is known primarily as P. D. Eastman. A protégé of Theodor Geisel (Dr. Seuss), Eastman wrote many books for children, in his own distinct style under the Dr. Seuss brand of Random House, many of which were in the Beginner Books series.
From 1936 to 1941, Eastman worked at the story department of Walt Disney Productions. From 1941 to 1943 he worked at the story department of Warner Bros. Cartoons. From 1945 to 1952 he worked in the story department of United Productions of America. He contributed to the "Private Snafu" World War II training films, wrote for the animation Mr. Magoo, and the Gerald McBoing-Boing series for UPA.
From 1936 to 1941, Eastman worked at the story department of Walt Disney Productions. From 1941 to 1943 he worked at the story department of Warner Bros. Cartoons. From 1945 to 1952 he worked in the story department of United Productions of America. He contributed to the "Private Snafu" World War II training films, wrote for the animation Mr. Magoo, and the Gerald McBoing-Boing series for UPA.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 83 reviews
February 18, 2021
This is a simple book about learning words that start with the letter of the alphabet. I have read many of these. This is pure P. D. Eastman and he brings his subtle humor into it. I think the humor is for the adults while the kids will think this is cute.
One of the best is Lion with lamb and it has the lion cuddling the lamb and on the lions face is a big sarcastic wink. The more mature reader will get that he intends to eat this cute ball of fluff. Another is Fox with Fish and it’s this huge piranha like fish that is caught by fox and it looks like it’s going to eat fox for supper. There are some cute pictures like elephant on eggs and Walrus with wig. For X there is Xylophone for Xmas and it has Santa on his sleigh playing the Xylophone.
The famous dogs Eastman likes to use are peppered throughout the story and it’s quirky. Nothing earth shattering, but a young one learning letters might appreciate what’s going on here.
It's written in 1974 and we all know that is probably one of the best years ever!
One of the best is Lion with lamb and it has the lion cuddling the lamb and on the lions face is a big sarcastic wink. The more mature reader will get that he intends to eat this cute ball of fluff. Another is Fox with Fish and it’s this huge piranha like fish that is caught by fox and it looks like it’s going to eat fox for supper. There are some cute pictures like elephant on eggs and Walrus with wig. For X there is Xylophone for Xmas and it has Santa on his sleigh playing the Xylophone.
The famous dogs Eastman likes to use are peppered throughout the story and it’s quirky. Nothing earth shattering, but a young one learning letters might appreciate what’s going on here.
It's written in 1974 and we all know that is probably one of the best years ever!
March 25, 2023
This is the first book my son read on his own.
July 1, 2025
This is great - my new favorite right here!
You can’t go wrong with the memorable characters of Eastman, and the page layout is awesome. Along the side of the page you have the entire alphabet outlined for a nice reference/visual for where you’re at in the line up. The letter you’re on gets highlighted. Then there’s a large letter and a character holding something, both beginning with the letter.
It’s simple, colorful, and wonderfully laid out!
Watch my kiddo’s ABC time and other recommended books.
Ages: 2 - 5
Content Considerations: nothing to note.
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You can’t go wrong with the memorable characters of Eastman, and the page layout is awesome. Along the side of the page you have the entire alphabet outlined for a nice reference/visual for where you’re at in the line up. The letter you’re on gets highlighted. Then there’s a large letter and a character holding something, both beginning with the letter.
It’s simple, colorful, and wonderfully laid out!
Watch my kiddo’s ABC time and other recommended books.
Ages: 2 - 5
Content Considerations: nothing to note.
**Like my reviews? Then you should follow me! Because I have hundreds more just like this one. With each review, I provide Content Considerations, mentioning any objectionable content I come across so that parents and/or conscientious readers (like me) can determine beforehand whether they want to read a book or not. Content surprises are super annoying, especially when you’re 100+ pages in, so here’s my attempt to help you avoid that!
If you’re considering a book or looking for a new title to read, check out my highly categorized shelves, read my reviews and Friend or Follow me to spiff up your feed with clean, wholesome, living books.
I have an Instagram account that’s pretty bookishly unique too!
December 9, 2014
This book is about a fun and silly run though of the alphabet. When going through each letter, the beginning word and the ending word both start with the present letter, such as “bird on bike”, and “fox with fish.” This book can help teach not only the order of the alphabet, but what the actual letters are as well. This book can also help children learn and identify different animals and objects. This book has really simple words, which is ideal for children just learning how to read. I would recommend this book to a parent of a preschooler kindergartener to teach them how to read. This book also has some images that I think children would enjoy looking at because what kid doesn’t want to see a “horse on a house” or a “cow in a car.” It is these funny illustrations that that will appeal to the young readers.
Eastman, P. D. (1974). The alphabet book. New York: Random House.
Eastman, P. D. (1974). The alphabet book. New York: Random House.
October 14, 2012
Genre-Children's book-Alphabet
This book is filled with fun pictures and phrases of the alphabet.
A. Area for comment is relationship between illustration and words
B. Most likely this type of book wil be for Pre-K and Kindergarten so the less detail going on than the better it is for their understanding. I think the phrase for each letter match the picture precisely which helps the child to easily connect words with pictures.
C. For example, on page 5 for the letter E there is a picture of an elephant standing on one of three eggs. The phrase says "Elephant on eggs."
This is a great curriculum connection for students learning the alphabet and for spelling some complex words such as guitar and American.
This book is filled with fun pictures and phrases of the alphabet.
A. Area for comment is relationship between illustration and words
B. Most likely this type of book wil be for Pre-K and Kindergarten so the less detail going on than the better it is for their understanding. I think the phrase for each letter match the picture precisely which helps the child to easily connect words with pictures.
C. For example, on page 5 for the letter E there is a picture of an elephant standing on one of three eggs. The phrase says "Elephant on eggs."
This is a great curriculum connection for students learning the alphabet and for spelling some complex words such as guitar and American.
November 8, 2020
Ha-ha ha 7I love 7 savage love Did somebody did smoter huh
July 21, 2024
“I think it was filled by ABC. It has been alphabet-some.”
(read aloud by himself at 4yo, no words missed)
(read aloud by himself at 4yo, no words missed)
September 23, 2016
The author and illustrator of The Alphabet Book, P.D. Eastman, does a fantastic job portraying the alphabet in a fun, enjoyable way. The artistic style of cartoons easily keeps the reader engaged because they are so fun to look at. This book goes above and beyond a simple "A is for Apple" style alphabet book and adds fun ABC descriptions as well. For example, the page for T displays a cute "Turtle at Typewriter".
This book is labeled as an "Early Reader" book for an important reason, and that's because it is definitely helpful for teaching children how to read in a fun way. It's one of those books that a person will remember forever. It stuck with me, and I remember reading it while I was trying to understand the alphabet over a decade ago!
This book is labeled as an "Early Reader" book for an important reason, and that's because it is definitely helpful for teaching children how to read in a fun way. It's one of those books that a person will remember forever. It stuck with me, and I remember reading it while I was trying to understand the alphabet over a decade ago!
March 26, 2018
Copyright- 1974
Number of Pages-20
Book format-hardcover, board book
Reading Level-Pre-K-2 GR Level- N/A
Genre- Fiction
Lit. Requirement- Alphabet Book-2
This is a book by Random House and a Bright and Early Board Book with Dr. Seuss. The author is P.D. Eastman but the illustrations resemble the illustrations in Go Dog! Go! This is a short board book about the alphabet. It goes through each letter and had an animal or person with it that starts with that letter. I like this because then children hear the letter and words that start with that letter. It helps with sound recognition. The book mainly had animals, some doing human-like activities with the exception of a few. This would be a good book to read to young children learning to read and learning the alphabet.
Number of Pages-20
Book format-hardcover, board book
Reading Level-Pre-K-2 GR Level- N/A
Genre- Fiction
Lit. Requirement- Alphabet Book-2
This is a book by Random House and a Bright and Early Board Book with Dr. Seuss. The author is P.D. Eastman but the illustrations resemble the illustrations in Go Dog! Go! This is a short board book about the alphabet. It goes through each letter and had an animal or person with it that starts with that letter. I like this because then children hear the letter and words that start with that letter. It helps with sound recognition. The book mainly had animals, some doing human-like activities with the exception of a few. This would be a good book to read to young children learning to read and learning the alphabet.
February 17, 2015
The Alphabet Book goes through every letter of the alphabet coupled with an illustration to highlight words that begin with each particular letter of the alphabet. The illustrations are both captivating and interesting that it will keep both preschooler and parent engaged throughout the book. Images such as "Juggler with Jack-o-lanterns" pictures a dog tossing pumpkins into the air, a mesh of two images one does not usually generate on one's own. And a "Zebra with a Zinther" will teach both adults and children alike non-commonly used vocabulary.
September 20, 2011
Every letter is portrayed by an animal that also has an item beginning with the letter. The book has a good format with clear illustrations outlined in black. There is a little cheating with I for infant, and the lion holding the lamb and winking was a little spooky. But then it was nine in their nests for N, queen for Q and umpire for U. So the theme was blown before they even got to X (a xylophone for Xmas – oh no).
September 29, 2015
This book presents the alphabet, along with some animals and items that start with each letter. For example, A is for American ants, and B is for a bird on a bike. It is a fun and silly way to introduce the ABCs to children in terms that will easily stick with them. I would use this as a warm-up in a preschool classroom. As a class at the beginning of every day, the students can practice their letters, sounds, and words that start with each letter.
February 7, 2018
I liked it for the most part. it is appealing because of the silly incongruous pairings for so many of the letters.
I didn't like the choice of "Xmas" for the letter X, because it is not how most folks refer to Christmas, and I think it could confusing for a 2yo who is just learning letters & words. Frankly it was also a little off-putting to me from a linguistic standpoint. it's important to first learn the language before learning the shortcuts and slang, in my opinion.
I didn't like the choice of "Xmas" for the letter X, because it is not how most folks refer to Christmas, and I think it could confusing for a 2yo who is just learning letters & words. Frankly it was also a little off-putting to me from a linguistic standpoint. it's important to first learn the language before learning the shortcuts and slang, in my opinion.
July 18, 2020
Pros: My 6-year-old read it to his 4-year-old sibling. The older kid couldn't stop laughing at the silly illustrations. It also thought it was funny.
Cons: One page shows an "Indian with ice cream." It's a stereotypical picture of a Native American man with a headdress on, eating an ice cream cone. My kids and I talked about how the book was old (from 1974) and why that imagery is no longer considered respectful, but it's not a book I'd read to students in a school setting.
Cons: One page shows an "Indian with ice cream." It's a stereotypical picture of a Native American man with a headdress on, eating an ice cream cone. My kids and I talked about how the book was old (from 1974) and why that imagery is no longer considered respectful, but it's not a book I'd read to students in a school setting.
October 24, 2020
This is a classic alphabet book. Each letter has a cute phrase, like "Cow in car." The only letter that hasn't aged well is "I" - "Indian with ice cream," which kind of ruins the whole book. There are other alphabet books out there that offer the same reading experience without stereotyped illustrations.
March 1, 2018
This book can be used for different domains in the classroom. The colorful images are easily identified and appropriate to the content in the book. Children can benefit from this book when learning about alphabets. Teachers can create a variety of activities based on this fun and exciting book.
March 1, 2017
Loved this book and think that toddlers can enjoy the pictures in the book, if not the content. Infinitly better than the Alphabet books that depict U for ultrasound machine.
January 30, 2019
We don't quite get this whole alphabet thing just yet, so not really sure why people make such a big deal about it. We like animals though and there were lots of them and some news ones to learn.
May 16, 2019
Leila: 5 stars: that American ants were an army
November 4, 2020
This is a cute book. I like that it shows capital and lowercase letters throughout the book.
February 21, 2020
Jay Nichols ETEC 545 Online B Reviews
Novel Fiction
Eastman, P.D. The Alphabet Book. New York: Random House Books, 1974.
ISBN: 0375806032 Genre: Alphabet Book
Number of Pages-20
Book format: board book
Target Audience: Pre-K- through Kindergarten
Awards: None
Summary: As with all alphabet books this book has each letter of the alphabet associated with an object and an animal that start with the matching letter. It was designed to teach sight recognition for letters in the alphabet along with common sight words. Eastman is one of my favorite illustrator authors and he does not disappoint with this book. The illustrations bring me back in time. I loved reading Go Dog! Go! The illustrations are captivating and bright.
Curriculum ties: This book is a good overview of letters and sounds that children will find easy to remember. I would recommend this book for teaching letters and sounds.
Novel Fiction
Eastman, P.D. The Alphabet Book. New York: Random House Books, 1974.
ISBN: 0375806032 Genre: Alphabet Book
Number of Pages-20
Book format: board book
Target Audience: Pre-K- through Kindergarten
Awards: None
Summary: As with all alphabet books this book has each letter of the alphabet associated with an object and an animal that start with the matching letter. It was designed to teach sight recognition for letters in the alphabet along with common sight words. Eastman is one of my favorite illustrator authors and he does not disappoint with this book. The illustrations bring me back in time. I loved reading Go Dog! Go! The illustrations are captivating and bright.
Curriculum ties: This book is a good overview of letters and sounds that children will find easy to remember. I would recommend this book for teaching letters and sounds.
October 11, 2017
Awards the book has received (if any): None
Appropriate grade level(s): Pre-K through Kindergarten
Original 3-line summary: This particular alphabet book went through the letters by naming an animal for each one. Additionally, the animals were all doing something or had an object that began with the same letter. This book is made for repetition and children can certainly become familiar with animals and letters by reading this book.
Original 3-line review: This alphabet book is a great aid for a classroom library because the writing incorporates two different words using the given letter. Having two examples is a wonderful way for children to become more familiar with the letter and where it appears.
2-3 possible in-class uses: This book would be excellent for any vocabulary lesson, alphabet letters lesson and even a lesson on animals.
Appropriate grade level(s): Pre-K through Kindergarten
Original 3-line summary: This particular alphabet book went through the letters by naming an animal for each one. Additionally, the animals were all doing something or had an object that began with the same letter. This book is made for repetition and children can certainly become familiar with animals and letters by reading this book.
Original 3-line review: This alphabet book is a great aid for a classroom library because the writing incorporates two different words using the given letter. Having two examples is a wonderful way for children to become more familiar with the letter and where it appears.
2-3 possible in-class uses: This book would be excellent for any vocabulary lesson, alphabet letters lesson and even a lesson on animals.
March 18, 2019
Genre: Alphabet Book
Awards: None
Audience: Pre-K- Kindergarten
A. This book fits within the alphabet category because it goes through each letter of the alphabet and provides a picture of an animal and object that starts with the corresponding letter. It is designed to help young children learn the letters of the alphabet.
B. The use of bright fun colors adds to children's interest in the book and draws them in to look at the pictures. Also, the colorful illustrations are displayed against a white background which helps the illustrations to stand out even more and engage young readers.
C. I would use this book with, particularly young children to help them learn the letters of the alphabet and help them build a foundation for their language skills.
D. What letter does the word "cow" start with? The letter C.
Awards: None
Audience: Pre-K- Kindergarten
A. This book fits within the alphabet category because it goes through each letter of the alphabet and provides a picture of an animal and object that starts with the corresponding letter. It is designed to help young children learn the letters of the alphabet.
B. The use of bright fun colors adds to children's interest in the book and draws them in to look at the pictures. Also, the colorful illustrations are displayed against a white background which helps the illustrations to stand out even more and engage young readers.
C. I would use this book with, particularly young children to help them learn the letters of the alphabet and help them build a foundation for their language skills.
D. What letter does the word "cow" start with? The letter C.
October 18, 2017
Awards: n/a
Appropriate grade level(s): preschool
Summary: This book has one letter for each page. For each letter, there is an animal that starts with that letter with an object that begins with that letter. Each page has a picture that shows what the short, usually 3 word, sentence is saying.
Review: I think this book is great for introduction to letters and sounds. Not only does it give two word examples, but it has a picture that goes along with it so children can easily remember the sounds of that specific letter. This book is very easy so any emerging reader can go to this book and remember the letters of sounds.
In-class uses:
-Phonics and the sounds of letters
-The order of the alphabet
Appropriate grade level(s): preschool
Summary: This book has one letter for each page. For each letter, there is an animal that starts with that letter with an object that begins with that letter. Each page has a picture that shows what the short, usually 3 word, sentence is saying.
Review: I think this book is great for introduction to letters and sounds. Not only does it give two word examples, but it has a picture that goes along with it so children can easily remember the sounds of that specific letter. This book is very easy so any emerging reader can go to this book and remember the letters of sounds.
In-class uses:
-Phonics and the sounds of letters
-The order of the alphabet
November 22, 2020
1) No awards
2) prek-k
3) This book is a great introduction to the letters of the alphabet. Each page is colorful and adds a word and an animal that has the same letter given on the page. Kids will learn to associate those objects or animals with the word and branch off into other words
4) I loved this book as a kid! Kids can read this multiple times and learn from all the examples. The colorful pictures will keep children entertained and will make learning the alphabet fun.
5) Kids can work through an alphabet book on their own each week. They can add a picture and a word for each letter
2) prek-k
3) This book is a great introduction to the letters of the alphabet. Each page is colorful and adds a word and an animal that has the same letter given on the page. Kids will learn to associate those objects or animals with the word and branch off into other words
4) I loved this book as a kid! Kids can read this multiple times and learn from all the examples. The colorful pictures will keep children entertained and will make learning the alphabet fun.
5) Kids can work through an alphabet book on their own each week. They can add a picture and a word for each letter
February 18, 2020
Fun alphabet book for kids. I had hoped there would be more to this book than just the alphabet though. I think this book is useful for children to practice letter recognition. Overall I enjoyed this book but wish it had been just a bit more complex.
February 18, 2023
Not my favourite volume in the alphabet book genre. I'm partial to "W," which features a "walrus in a wig," but most of the letters don't speak to me. I find it enjoyable how amusing Canadians find the "American Ants" though.
August 19, 2017
similar to ABCers by carole schaefer but more dated. i would have given 3 stars if not for the use of the word zither. but seriously, that's an SAT word for preschoolers.
October 25, 2019
713 - 2019
February 19, 2020
The book's illustrations are not as colorful. The book is good for teaching the alphabet. Additionally, the vocabulary is simple for children to follow along.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 83 reviews