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8: An Animal Alphabet

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Explore the animal world, from aardvark to zebu! Discover hundreds of animals, great and small. Lion and lizard, whale and wombat. Learn one wild fact about each animal. (Did you know that gorillas yawn when they are nervous?) Look carefully, because for each letter of the alphabet, one animal is pictured eight times. Why 8? Come inside and find out.

40 pages, Hardcover

First published July 28, 2015

9 people are currently reading
459 people want to read

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Elisha Cooper

35 books92 followers

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5 stars
80 (19%)
4 stars
160 (38%)
3 stars
148 (35%)
2 stars
20 (4%)
1 star
4 (<1%)
Displaying 1 - 30 of 105 reviews
2,730 reviews
June 26, 2022
This is a cute book with plenty of different animals, including some I certainly hadn't heard of. The theme of having 8 of one type was good too and gives the (little) reader something to look for. Having said that, I don't know why this book didn't resonate more with me.
24 reviews
October 12, 2016
Title: An Animal Alphabet
Author: Elisha Cooper
Illustrator: Elisha Cooper, David Saylor, Charles Kreloff
Genre: Alphabet book, Nonfiction
Theme: Animals, Number eight, Alphabet, Fun facts
Opening line/sentence:
Find the one animal on each page that is pictured 8 times- 8 ants, 8 badgers, 8 chickens.

Brief book summary: This book starts with an introductory page explaining that on every page of the book one of the animals is shown eight times. The book starts by talking about the letter A, continuing on with every letter of the alphabet. The last page of the book has fun facts about all the animals shown throughout the book.

Professional Recommendation/Review #1: Publishers Weekly-Skillfully blending counting and matching elements into an animal-themed abecedary, Cooper invites readers to spot eight animals for each letter, nestled alongside other creatures whose names begin with the same letter. The G page is fairly packed with Cooper’s handsome portraits of a gazelle, gerbil, gibbon, giraffe, gnat, goose, gorilla, etc. (plus eight goats). Readers won’t have trouble spotting the eight xeruses, though; they’re the sole representatives for X. The animals’ names run along the bottom of each page, and a closing list offers intriguing details about the more than 150 creatures Cooper includes, while helping identify the less-familiar quoll, uakari, and yabby, among others.

Professional Recommendation/Review #2: Kirkus Review- A distinctive animal alphabet presents a counting game.
The cover displays a large, shiny number eight. What does it mean? The author’s explanation on the title page’s verso provides the ebullient answer. “Why the number 8? Because 8 is great. Because 8 is round and adorable. Because 8 is fun to count to (move over, 10). Because 8 is not too big, and not so small, but just right. Because 8 is my favorite number.” So, if readers look closely at each page of animals, from A to Z, one of them appears eight times. On the A page, nine critters are listed at the bottom; among them is the ant, eight of which roam among single examples of aardvark, abalone, albatross, alligator, alpaca, anteater, antelope, and armadillo. Cooper’s loose watercolor images are arranged harmoniously against spacious white backgrounds. The number of animals depicted varies, with the lowest being one (X for xerus). There are surprises, as in the letter I, which presents ibex, ibis, iguana, impala, and inchworm. Readers might expect the animal to count eight times would be the inchworm, but actually, here it’s the iguana. A four-page legend in the back identifies each creature with a one-sentence, interesting fact: “Quolls use communal toilet areas.” Who knew? The heavy paper will withstand repeated viewings, which are guaranteed.
Don’t get behind the eight ball: order now; it’s great fun.

Response to Two Professional Reviews: The list at the end of the book explaining the unique facts about the animals really is an interesting thing I think kids would enjoy. I think kids would like reading these facts because they’re not common facts you would usually know about the animal such as, “Lizards smell with their tongues.” The reviews do a good job at describing the other great aspects of the book, such as the fact that it lists all the animal’s names shown on the page with that certain letter of the alphabet.

Evaluation of Literary Elements: The overall theme of the book is really fun as readers have to find the animal on each page that occurs eight times. It adds depth to the plot as they don’t just see animals pertaining to a certain letter like other alphabet books will have. The author provided multiple characters of animals which really helps kids learn about all different animals.

Consideration of Instructional Application: I would use this book in my classroom for kids to read over when they are trying to learn the letters of the alphabet. It’s also a good book to use when trying to learn about all different kinds of animals. You could pass the book around to the whole class and tell everyone to pick one different letter. They could then do a unit on studying the kinds of animals they got from the letter they chose.
380 reviews
March 25, 2017
Every page has illustrations of animals starting with the alphabet from A to Z. The readers are recommended to find an animal that is illustrated eight times because the author likes the number, eight.

I am a bit disappointed to read this book because the reason for using the number eight. The author indicates that the reason why he selects the number 8 is “because 8 is great. Because 8 is round and adorable. Because 8 is fun to count to (mover over, 10). […]”. I wonder whether children like the number and the explanations. Moreover, the fun explanations of animals are introduced at the end of the book in small text. It might be difficult for children to read this small texts since this book is an alphabet book. The good thing is to have lots of examples of diverse animals which are not common. However, illustrations might not be enough to support the illustration of these animals clearly.
Profile Image for Shauna.
10 reviews1 follower
September 10, 2017
I wanted to love this book. I loved the idea of incorporating animals into learning the alphabet. I simply found it hard to enjoy. There was not much color in the book besides earth tones, which kids (and myself) aren't typically drawn to. The object of each page is to find the animal that starts with the page's letter, 8 times. It doesn't sound too hard until you realize that they use animals like Upupa, Quetzal, Osprey, Ibis, and a Gibbon. I am half way through my bachelor's degree and I can't tell you what any of those animals are. Though they provide a glossary for the animals, it seemed like a lot of work just to learn the alphabet. The illustrations of the animals were beautifully done, and the idea for the book was great, but the execution did not live up to what I had hoped for this book.
53 reviews1 follower
May 10, 2018
Illustrator: Elisha Cooper

Copyright Date: 2015

Number of Pages: 40

Book Format: Hardcover

Grade or Reading Level: Preschool - Kindergarten

Genre: Picture book

Lit Requirement: Alphabet book

Topic Tags: alphabet, animals, numbers

Summary & Review/Response:
Follow along with the 26 letters of the alphabet to learn about a ton of different animals. For each letter, the author listed several animals with names that start with that particular letter. Learn about animals ranging from an aardvark to a zebu. Also, look at each letter to find the animal that’s pictured eight times.
I really loved this alphabet book. It is not like a typical alphabet book because it includes so much more. It takes readers through the alphabet, but it also teaches about different animals. It also includes the unique element of searching to find the animal that’s pictured eight times. I loved that particular part because it gets the reader engaged in the book. Overall, I would highly recommend this book to young children who are learning the alphabet.
Profile Image for Asho.
1,864 reviews12 followers
July 29, 2017
This book has an interesting concept, but it didn't get as much reading time at my house as I thought it would. It's a dual-concept book: it's an alphabet book with each page featuring animals that start with the letter, but it's also a counting book because on each page the child is encouraged to find the animal that is featured 8 times.
It's really more of a game/activity book than a bedtime story. I would tell S the name of each animal and he would look at it on the page. It would have taken ages to read the whole thing so we'd just look at a few pages here and there, and I think he read a few pages with his dad as well, although we never got through the whole thing.
184 reviews6 followers
November 1, 2016
Lovely illustrations of creatures of all kinds, arrayed on a page with the corresponding (upper and lower case) letters appearing first in their animal names. No words appear other than the names of the animals depicted, listed in small upper case print beside the alphabet letter highlighted on each page. As a guided imagination read, this makes a lovely storytime discussion of animal types which children can try to identify as they go through each page and letter of the alphabet. Many interesting and unusual creatures are depicted!
Profile Image for Samantha Sirbaugh.
26 reviews
April 28, 2019
1. N/A
2. This book is appropriate for PreK-2nd.
3. From A-Z this book lists animals on every page according to the first letter of the animal. At the top of each page is the letter of the page and is in alphabetical order. This is a simple book that just names the animals on each page, but some of the names can be challenging. There also are pictures on each page of the animals listed. A fun part of this book is the number 8 included in the title. In the beginning of the book it explains that on each page there is one animals picture that is there 8 times.
4. This book provides a fun game the children can practice counting up to 8 to identify which animal is shown 8 times on each page. I think this game keeps the book fun and interesting as it can be kind of dry with just the names of the animals in very small print at the bottom.
5. This book could be used for alphabet recognition.
35 reviews
April 20, 2019
Genre: Nonfiction Concept Book
Awards: None
Audience: Toddler - Kindergarten
A. The topic of this book is the alphabet.
B. The book has different animals that start with the letter for each page.
C. There is a glossary in the back of the book.
D. This could be read to children by parents to teach them the alphabet and counting.

Profile Image for Cara Byrne.
3,864 reviews36 followers
May 26, 2021
Cooper has such a clever concept in this animal book that introduces both familiar and lesser known animals to readers while also challenging them to find the animal repeated eight times. I thought my kids would be more engaged with it, but neither my 6 or 3 year old were. Perhaps we will try again another time, as I love Cooper's art!
Profile Image for Rose Rosetree.
Author 15 books477 followers
August 13, 2023
This pictorial alphabet book is filled with excellent illustrations of animals whose names begin with each letter of the alphabet. One letter per page, usually.

Readers may relish names for these animals, stylishly presented in small type at the bottom of each page.

Once again, Elisha Cooper has come up with a clever picture book concept, and excecuted it meticulously.

FIVE STARS
Profile Image for Lynn  Davidson.
8,224 reviews37 followers
May 20, 2018
A fascinating alphabet book focusing on wildlife. There are 184 different animals in this book and in the back of the book are amazing facts for each one. Wonderful illustrations and a fun way the book is set up.
600 reviews2 followers
September 21, 2020
A fun concept for an animal alphabet book. One letter per page, multiple animals that start with that letter, and each letter will have at least one animal shown eight times. Love the art. Simple clean lines, water colors. Pretty book. Great for booktalking with parents.
13 reviews
May 5, 2024
I thought this book was highly interactive and the artwork was great. I did not have blurry images and was not really concerned about accuracy of the images - it was painted in watercolor and done very nicely. I liked how there was more information about the animals in the back pages.
Profile Image for Annie.
527 reviews14 followers
October 21, 2016
Completely charming illustrations, great choice of animals, excellent (although slightly random) back matter. And my daughter LOVES it (she's three-and-a-half). I must admit that we intersperse our readings with you-tube videos of some of the animals she's less familiar with. She's completely fascinated by the whole experience, and we're having a lot of fun learning about all these animals.
57 reviews
May 28, 2018
A nice book to teach young children alphabet as well as counting.
Profile Image for Carina.
348 reviews3 followers
June 11, 2018
My mom thought I would like this book because it has animals and counting, but it didn’t hold my interest at all. It’s a pretty book, but there were too many animals I didn’t know in it.
Profile Image for Andrea Brooks.
154 reviews1 follower
September 14, 2018
Animals & Alphabet & Counting - who could ask for more? Well, there is more! One fun fact about each animal pictured.
Profile Image for Pam.
9,925 reviews55 followers
April 27, 2022
Clever counting book. Readers need to find the animals listed across the bottom of each page and find the animal that is included eight times also.
Realistic illustrations.
Profile Image for Cassie.
114 reviews16 followers
March 14, 2024
My daughter and I have spent hours reading this book. We love all the fun facts.
Profile Image for American Mensa.
943 reviews72 followers
September 22, 2015
When I got this book by mail and opened up the package to read it, the cover page confused me. It said ‘An Animal alphabet’ but also had a big number ‘8’ on it. I had no idea what that meant! But once I read the inside flap, I realized that there's a number 8 game included in the book!

On each page, there is the letter of the alphabet and a lot of animals whose names start with that letter. Some of the animals drawn are really unusual. It was interesting to learn the names of animals I did not know of until I read this book, like abalone, uakari and quoll. The names of the animals are on the bottom of each page. Our job is to discover and identify all the animals on the page. I thought the upupa was a really cute name! Each page also has one animal repeated 8 times and we have to figure out which animal that is - and that's why the cover page has an '8' on it! Sometimes, it is hard to find all the 8 animals on the pages, because some are facing different directions, some are baby animals and some are adult animals. But, we learn a lot about how animals look too.

The drawings are nice, but not very colorful. But I guess that's how animals really look.

This is an ABC book, but it is for older kids who want to learn more than just simple ABC's. Not only do we get to find 8 of the same animal on each page, but we also learn a fun fact about each animal. At the back of the book, there is a four-page fun facts index from A to Z, with a picture of each animal and an interesting fact about it. The pictures help us figure out if we guessed all the animals correctly. And the facts are fun. The most fun thing I learned was how different animals keep cool - pigs wallow in mud, seals flip sand on their backs, and the most funny of all, vultures poop and pee on their legs to keep cool! But, one thing I did not enjoy was flipping back and forth between the letter pages and the fun facts index – that was not easy to do and I often needed a bookmark to do it!

I give this book 4 stars. I thought this book was fun. I learned the names of a lot of animals that I did not know before. I really enjoyed getting to know so many interesting facts about animals. But, it is not a simple book and not for everyone. I liked it because I am 6 years old, I love science and love learning new facts. But my brother who is 2 years old, did not enjoy it much. He did not understand many of the drawings, and only liked the letters on each page and the familiar animals. He did not seem to enjoy it much and found it too long, especially when I wanted to flip to the back of the book to read out the animal facts to him! I also wasn't able to finish the whole book in one sitting. So I don't think this book would be fun for anyone too young. My mom found it interesting, because she learned facts about animals and discovered animals she had not heard of before! So, this book could be read by anyone 6 years old and above!

This would be a great book for kids who love animals and love learning new and interesting things about them.

I will be reading this book over and over, because every time I read it, I notice something new on the pages and remember a new animal fact!
Review by Dhruv K., age 6, North Texas Mensa
Profile Image for Holly.
182 reviews102 followers
Read
March 10, 2016
8: An Animal Alphabet by Elisha Cooper (2015)
Target Audience: PreK - 1st (according to publisher), probably best for K - 1st
Alphabet Book

8: An Animal Alphabet, by Elisha Cooper, features animals grouped by the letter of the alphabet their name begins with. Each page represents one letter of the alphabet, and there are anywhere from one to fifteen animals represented per page. Each page also contains one animal whose picture is repeated eight times, while the other animals are represented in image once. The end of the book includes one interesting fact per animal.

Strengths:
-Interactivity: children can try to find the animals repeated eight times
-Includes some unusual animals and interesting facts about them
-Beautiful realistic watercolor illustrations of animals

Weaknesses:
-Extremely busy pages, with at least eight animal images per page (and some having twenty or more)
-Too much going on for very young readers, who might be the usual audience for alphabet books
-No plot or characterization
-Small text

My first impression of 8: An Animal Alphabet is that it is just too busy. Each page contains a whole herd of animals, and since the text naming animals is at the bottom of the page, it’s up to the reader to match the name to the animal. For a child reading this book alone, that might be a difficult task. For example, the “I” page lists: Ibex, Ibis, Iguana, Impala, and Inchworm. The animals are scattered across the page, so readers have to guess which animal is which. Generally I think of alphabet books being for children who are just learning the alphabet (like 3 or 4-year-olds), but I think this book would be overwhelming for them. An older child interested in animals may not want to read an alphabet book, though. Aside from the animal alphabet aspect, the book also focuses on the number 8: certain animals appear eight times in each picture. Some kids might have fun trying to count all eight appearances of an animal. Even that might be difficult, however, as each picture is different. For example, on the “C” page there are eight chickens, but they are all different breeds and both hens and roosters are represented. Overall, I think the book has very attractive illustrations, but I don’t think I would ever purposely choose to read it to children.
49 reviews
May 16, 2018
Copyright - Unknown
Number of Pages - 40
Book Format - Print
Reading Level - Ages 4-10
Genre - Non- Fiction
Lit Requirement - Alphabet Book
Summary: This book is about learning the alphabet!


Response: I think this is great for kids who are learning the alphabet! It teaches kids all of the animals that start with that letter! Not only will it help practice the alphabet, but it will help practice naming animals as well as help them identify new animals.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 105 reviews

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