What do you think?
Rate this book
Alpha Oops!
It's backwards! It's inside out! It's every letter for itself! This laugh-out-loud romp is not your average alphabet book! Z is tired of always having to be last when the alphabet family lines up. He is demanding fair and equal treatment! The letters (more or less) agree to go backwards, but it's not long before P has some ideas of his own. And so does H, for that matter. In fact, it seems as if almost every letter has a different opinion about how the alphabet should be arranged. It's chaos! It's pandemonium! And it's definitely not as easy as A-B-C! Filled with visually humorous details, Bob Kolar's colorful illustrations are the perfect foil for Alethea Kontis's snappy story about the comic confusion that comes when the letters of the alphabet, like a class of unruly children, step out of order and show that each one has a mind of its own.
- GenresHalloween
32 pages, Unknown Binding
Published January 1, 2010
1 person is currently reading
11 people want to read
About the author
Alethea Kontis
151 books1,488 followers"A veritable badass fairy princess." --Jim Butcher
"The faerie princess of the worlds of weird." --Jonathan Maberry
"Alethea Kontis IS fairy tales." --Jim C. Hines, author of Libriomancer
"Alethea Kontis: Awesome, racks up award nominations, wears tiaras." --SF author Ferrett Steinmetz
"I want to live in [Alethea's] head because I think that might be the most interesting place in the world!!!!" --Ellen Oh, author of Prophecy
"Alethea Kontis, the woman who writes like Shakespeare would if he were alive today." --Aaron Pound
"The beauty of a princess, the confidence of a queen, the brilliance of a writer, and the demeanor of a cheerful fairy comedian!" --Cheyenne Z.
"This was the story before all of the other stories, and it was the other tales that were changed over time." --Nerdophiles, on ENCHANTED
"The faerie princess of the worlds of weird." --Jonathan Maberry
"Alethea Kontis IS fairy tales." --Jim C. Hines, author of Libriomancer
"Alethea Kontis: Awesome, racks up award nominations, wears tiaras." --SF author Ferrett Steinmetz
"I want to live in [Alethea's] head because I think that might be the most interesting place in the world!!!!" --Ellen Oh, author of Prophecy
"Alethea Kontis, the woman who writes like Shakespeare would if he were alive today." --Aaron Pound
"The beauty of a princess, the confidence of a queen, the brilliance of a writer, and the demeanor of a cheerful fairy comedian!" --Cheyenne Z.
"This was the story before all of the other stories, and it was the other tales that were changed over time." --Nerdophiles, on ENCHANTED
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews
October 31, 2017
Genre: Fiction
This book is great for Kindergarten. One unique feature about this text is it is Halloween theme and a great read before trick-or-treating!
This book is great for Kindergarten. One unique feature about this text is it is Halloween theme and a great read before trick-or-treating!
Read
October 1, 2017Title: Alpha Oops!
Author: Alethea Kontis
Illustrator (if separate from author): Bob Kolar
Genre: Alphabet book
Theme(s): Team work, order, alphabet
Opening line/sentence (type directly from text): “A is for app-- STOP!”
Brief Book Summary (2-3 sentences in your own words): Z gets annoyed with always being last. To fix this, he decides to go first in the alphabet book. This creates chaos throughout the book as the letters try and decide on their order.
Professional Recommendation/Review #1 (cut & paste, details below):
“Who says A comes first and Z goes last? Taking the stage in an uncharacteristically disorderly lineup, the letters of the alphabet speak up and act out like a group of unruly children, jockeying for better positions in the line, demanding second turns, and even taking bathroom breaks. The result is a zany alphabetical romp that begins with an animated letter Z ("Zebra and I are SICK of this last-in-line stuff!") and proceeds with splendid chaos to include all the letters, ending with A getting the last word. Every child whose name makes him or her last on any list will feel a kinship with the complaints of the end-of-alphabet letters, and perhaps other kids will see the justice of their grievance. Reflecting the letters' saucy ways, the colorful, stylized artwork dramatizes the action and offers bits of comic byplay for the observant. An alphabet book with attitude.”-(Carolyn Phelan (Booklist, Sep. 1, 2006 (Vol. 103, No. 1)) (http://www.clcd.com/#/bookdetail/1/0/...)
Professional Recommendation/Review #2 (cut & paste, details below):
“This is no run-of-the-mill A to Z alphabet book. Z is tired of being last! He insists on beginning the alphabet this time. Other letters, also tired of their places in the alphabet string, debut in a unique order, interrupting the true Z to A rotation. But that just adds to the novelty of the book. Each letter has a personality that won't be forgotten! The illustrations are boldly colored and the letters are in easily recognizable block Arial font. The illustrations of objects which the letters stand for are done in basic shapes and bold colors and would be easily recognized by preschoolers. At the bottom of each page is the alphabet in reverse. As the letters are introduced, the random colored letters are put over this reverse alphabet. This book would be enjoyed best by preschoolers or beginning readers who are very familiar with the A to Z alphabet sequence.”-Sandra L. Tidwell (Children's Book and Play Review, February 2007)
(http://www.clcd.com/#/bookdetail/1/0/...)
Response to Two Professional Reviews (3-4 sentences in your own words)
These are both great reviews that seem to capture the excitement and mood of this book. I agree that this would be enjoyed by preschoolers and beginning readers, however I also think it could be enjoyed by elementary students as well. As both reviews point out, the story has great pictures as reflected in the review.
Evaluation of Literary Elements (3-4 sentences in your own words):
As Molly points out, the bright colors and sharp angles of the images will really draw in the readers. Additionally, the simple and funny text will help to keep readers engaged. Typically ABC books are not read to older students, but this funny and different text would appeal more ages due to the included humor.
Consideration of Instructional Application (3-4 sentences in your own words):
Students could consider why the alphabet is in order. They could begin to wonder where change can come from in societies, and explore how that happens. Additionally, they could explore feelings as expressed by the letters.
Author: Alethea Kontis
Illustrator (if separate from author): Bob Kolar
Genre: Alphabet book
Theme(s): Team work, order, alphabet
Opening line/sentence (type directly from text): “A is for app-- STOP!”
Brief Book Summary (2-3 sentences in your own words): Z gets annoyed with always being last. To fix this, he decides to go first in the alphabet book. This creates chaos throughout the book as the letters try and decide on their order.
Professional Recommendation/Review #1 (cut & paste, details below):
“Who says A comes first and Z goes last? Taking the stage in an uncharacteristically disorderly lineup, the letters of the alphabet speak up and act out like a group of unruly children, jockeying for better positions in the line, demanding second turns, and even taking bathroom breaks. The result is a zany alphabetical romp that begins with an animated letter Z ("Zebra and I are SICK of this last-in-line stuff!") and proceeds with splendid chaos to include all the letters, ending with A getting the last word. Every child whose name makes him or her last on any list will feel a kinship with the complaints of the end-of-alphabet letters, and perhaps other kids will see the justice of their grievance. Reflecting the letters' saucy ways, the colorful, stylized artwork dramatizes the action and offers bits of comic byplay for the observant. An alphabet book with attitude.”-(Carolyn Phelan (Booklist, Sep. 1, 2006 (Vol. 103, No. 1)) (http://www.clcd.com/#/bookdetail/1/0/...)
Professional Recommendation/Review #2 (cut & paste, details below):
“This is no run-of-the-mill A to Z alphabet book. Z is tired of being last! He insists on beginning the alphabet this time. Other letters, also tired of their places in the alphabet string, debut in a unique order, interrupting the true Z to A rotation. But that just adds to the novelty of the book. Each letter has a personality that won't be forgotten! The illustrations are boldly colored and the letters are in easily recognizable block Arial font. The illustrations of objects which the letters stand for are done in basic shapes and bold colors and would be easily recognized by preschoolers. At the bottom of each page is the alphabet in reverse. As the letters are introduced, the random colored letters are put over this reverse alphabet. This book would be enjoyed best by preschoolers or beginning readers who are very familiar with the A to Z alphabet sequence.”-Sandra L. Tidwell (Children's Book and Play Review, February 2007)
(http://www.clcd.com/#/bookdetail/1/0/...)
Response to Two Professional Reviews (3-4 sentences in your own words)
These are both great reviews that seem to capture the excitement and mood of this book. I agree that this would be enjoyed by preschoolers and beginning readers, however I also think it could be enjoyed by elementary students as well. As both reviews point out, the story has great pictures as reflected in the review.
Evaluation of Literary Elements (3-4 sentences in your own words):
As Molly points out, the bright colors and sharp angles of the images will really draw in the readers. Additionally, the simple and funny text will help to keep readers engaged. Typically ABC books are not read to older students, but this funny and different text would appeal more ages due to the included humor.
Consideration of Instructional Application (3-4 sentences in your own words):
Students could consider why the alphabet is in order. They could begin to wonder where change can come from in societies, and explore how that happens. Additionally, they could explore feelings as expressed by the letters.
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews