P is for Passport: A World Alphabet

by Devin Scillian

Celebrating the diversity in our world while cherishing our similarities, P is for Passport takes readers on a whirlwind tour of all the delights of the globe. From the everyday concerns of people everywhere for such things as bread and currency, to the wonders of our world such as deserts and volcanoes, Passport offers a fascinating variety of topics and ideas to explore. Author and journalist Devin Scillian was born into a traveling family. With a career Army officer for a father, Devin grew up all over the United States and all over the world. His career as a television journalist added even more stamps in his passport and he continues to cherish each and every one. Devin, his wife Corey and their four children make their home in Grosse Pointe, Michigan. Devin also anchors the news for WDIV-TV, the NBC affiliate in Detroit. His books include A is for America, Fibblestax, and Cosmo's Moon. Artwork is featured from 23 Sleeping Bear Press artists, who live in live in a variety of climates, homes, and time zones.Cover artwork by Gijsbert van Frankenhuyzen.

Genres: Picture Books, Geography, Nonfiction, Childrens, Travel

48 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 1, 2003

Reviews

[Sandy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Buon giorno! This is not your typical ABC book. I actually learned some information while reading this book as it is not geared for our younger ABC readers. Did you know the tongue of the blue whale can be the size of an elephant? Did you know the canopy in the rainforest can be so densely packed that it can take 10 minutes for raindrops to reach the jungle floor? Is it proper to belch after a meal in Taiwan? Sure, that’s considered a compliment to the chef. I love learning this stuff, I don’t know where I will ever use it but it sure is interesting. This book is very unique as each letter of the alphabet is highlighted with a two-page spread. One page talks about the letter highlighted and its significance in the world around us and the second page gives up some worldwide advice about the word highlighted with that letter. So much information and great information at that, I was greatly impressed that it was so informative and interesting. For example: L is for language and it talks about the different languages spoken in a few countries in a handful of sentences. Then in the worldwide advice there are four paragraphs talking about language: one paragraph stating the language most widely spoken worldwide, a paragraph about the English language, and a paragraph of greetings in different languages and a paragraph about speaking your native language. Here are a few other ones: Q is for quest, Y is for year, B is for bread, M is for music, and Z is for zone, I was wondering about that one. This book would make a wonderful addition to an older child’s library as I loved it for its refreshing look at the alphabet, the information it provided and the pictures it contained. It’s definitely worth taking a look at. “buon giorno” means hello to you in Italian.

[Emmaline MacBeath · Rating 4 out of 5]

This story covers different aspects of places all over the world and some of the things you might experience as you travel. B is for the different types of bread you might eat. Under the letter I is a discussion of some of the islands around the world. Q is for some of the quests you might embark on. Each two page spread has paragraph in rhyme about the world and a side bar with a more lengthy explanation about places around the world.

The illustrations are created by many different artists which is fun because you get a different depiction from each different artist. All of the art is quality work, colorful, detailed and interesting.

This book is a fabulous introduction to the world. It gives a glimpse into culture as well as geography. As an alphabet book, however, it is quite challenging. It is full of brand new words and concepts. It is also quite lengthy. It may take several sittings to get through. It is advertized for ages 6-8 which I agree with as it is too heavy for the littlest ones seeing the alphabet for the first time. It would be a great classroom resource for teaching culture and geography. This is a book so rich it will need to be visited over and over again. It can be used as a springboard for many many different topics.

[Viviane Elbee · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is for elementary aged children, as it is very long (not a preschool ABC book). Older children may find it interesting as it covers many different facts about our world and places to visit / travel to. It took me nearly 30 minutes to read the whole book out loud to the kids. The kids enjoyed it. The illustrations are gorgeous.

[Jenny · Rating 4 out of 5]

I liked this but it is a bit more wordy than younger kids can handle. I like all the nonfiction info it gives and the illustrations are pretty good. I guess you could read either the part that has the special letter of the page or the other paragraph that has the background information.

[Anthony · Rating 4 out of 5]

This A to Z book takes a look at the diversity and commonality, and wonders of the planet Earth, through travel. Filled with facts, and other interesting issues, this book is well put together for enjoyment, learning, and entertainment.

[Sarah Threlkeld · Rating 3 out of 5]

Jam packed with information, which was interesting and overwhelming. About halfway through I started skimming.

[Kim · Rating 4 out of 5]

A geography alphabet. Beautiful illustrations.

[Erin Field · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thinking Day 2023--Germany

[Emily · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ages 7 and up. From B is to Bread to X is for Xenophobia, this alphabet book celebrates travel and the importance of cultural curiosity.

[Chelsie · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book celebrates diversity by allowing readers to take a journey to various locations across the world. This story also reveals the realistic privilege that is upon owning a passport. The different places you can journey to, many people you can meet, and diverse food you can become familiar with are all endless possibilities attained by having a passport to travel with. The genres of this story are realistic nonfiction, picture story book, and informational texts. This book would be developmentally appropriate for children age’s six to eight and is a great quality children’s book. Plus, the author himself is born into a traveling family, so the different stories and concepts throughout the story, are surreal and more personal! This book supports my text set theme of cultural awareness and self-acceptance in relation to immigration. I also believe the different locations that are talked about within this book, reveal that diversity can be viewed on a more worldwide scale, now just nationally.

[Jen · Rating 2 out of 5]

A great idea but I didn't think it was done as well as it could have been. I assumed it was a book that would use the alphabet to highlight other places in the world. Which it does in some parts. However, in many letters they use animals, D is desert, K is for knapsack, U is for under, too many themes. It's like the author couldn't decide about what he wanted to highlight. It is also a bit too wordy. Your tired 8 letters into the alphabet.

[Allie Tully · Rating 3 out of 5]

The picture book is very useful because it is developmentally beneficial to all ages. It is great for younger kids in that it emphasizes the alphabet and words that correspond with each letter. For younger students, it could be read one or two pages per day; taken in small chunks. It is also good for older elementary kids because it contains a great deal of content about travel, habitats, cultures, climates, and landmarks. The illustrations are wonderful and display great detail.

[Sarah · Rating 2 out of 5]

I like the idea of this book, going through the alphabet and around the world, but some of the letter choices are odd, and some of the pictures are not as awesome as others. But I think I will still use it for SRP promotion as an idea, around the world alphabet.

[Angela · Rating 3 out of 5]

Different from other alphabet books but fun and informative. Good at teaching kids about other places and larger words. I kind of wish it had 1 illustrator instead of each page being someone different. Made it a little disjointed.

[Nancy (Colorado) · Rating 4 out of 5]

A great book for third grade and our exploration of the continents!

[Jodi · Rating 2 out of 5]

No storyline but great vocabulary introduction.

[Anna Youssef]

This book is about the author and journalist Devin Scillian. Devin takes students all around the United States and all over the world. Devin's father was an Army officer, so Devin grew up traveling a lot. This help him form his career as a television journalist. This book shows his many journeys to different parts of the word, and how the cultures affected his lifestyle. This is a great book that would help a class project for Culture Day, or a research project.