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Jerry Pallotta's Alphabet Books
The Flower Alphabet Book
Roses are red,
Violets are blue...
And they're only two of the flowers in this book of bright colors and delightful information. Young readers will be fascinated to find out what flower can be used to make a doll, which flower flavors tea, and which flower farmers feed to chickens.
Author Jerry Pallotta and illustrator Leslie Evans have collaborated to produce a stunning bouquet of words and pictures about the world of flowers–one of nature's most beautiful gifts.
Violets are blue...
And they're only two of the flowers in this book of bright colors and delightful information. Young readers will be fascinated to find out what flower can be used to make a doll, which flower flavors tea, and which flower farmers feed to chickens.
Author Jerry Pallotta and illustrator Leslie Evans have collaborated to produce a stunning bouquet of words and pictures about the world of flowers–one of nature's most beautiful gifts.
32 pages, Paperback
First published June 1, 1988
80 people want to read
About the author
Jerry Pallotta
239 books111 followersMy full name is Gerard Larry Pallotta but my mom always called me "Jerry". I was born on March 26, 1953 in Boston, Massachusetts. My mom's name is Mary, and she came from a family of ten children. My dad's name is Joe, and he came from a family of five children. My grandparents were immigrants of Italian descent. I have the nicest parents in the world. They have always been unselfish and ready to help me, even today. I have four brothers and two sisters: Joey, David, Andrew, Danny, Cindy and Mickey. I have seventy-two first cousins. When I was growing up, there were...KIDS EVERYWHERE!
My family moved to Medford, Massachusetts when I was young. I went to elementary school at Mt. Trinity Academy, not far from where my publisher is located in Watertown, Massachusetts. I never wrote a book in elementary school, and we never kept journals. In the neighborhood where I grew up, almost every family had seven to nine children. I guess that you could say that there were...KIDS EVERYWHERE!
I went to high school at Boston College High School, a Jesuit all-boys school in downtown Boston. The priests and other teachers were really wonderful. I played football and ran track. I had a great high school experience and I think later it made my studies in college much easier. My sons Neil and Eric graduated from Boston College High School in 2001 and 2003. Neil was named after a teacher I had, Fr. Neil Callahan, S.J. I never wrote a book in high school, and I never wrote for the school newspaper. I was too shy and was afraid of what other kids would think.
After high school I went to Georgetown University in Washington, D.C. I majored in business, a subject that would help me later in life when I decided to publish my first book. At Georgetown, I met my wife, Linda. In college I was an average student and was captain of the Georgetown University Rugby Team. I never wrote for the college newspaper, and I never imaged writing books. A couple of years later, Linda and I got married and I started to work at an insurance company in Boston. During the first six years of being married, we had four kids. It seemed like there were...KIDS EVERYWHERE!
Today, we spend a lot of time with my 31 nieces and nephews...again...KIDS EVERYWHERE!
I learned valuable skills while talking to people, selling insurance and collecting money. When I came home from work, Linda would ask me to "read to the kids!" I loved reading to my kids and I learned to appreciate children's books. The first few books that we bought were alphabet books and counting books. "A" was always for Apple and "Z" was always for Zebra. One day I decided, "Hey, I can do this!" I had an idea. I would write an alphabet book about the Atlantic Ocean. I spent every summer at Peggotty Beach in Scituate, Massachusetts. I have great memories of lobstering, fishing, mossing, clamming and rowing in my dory.
My first book was written in 1985 when I was 32 years old. I came up with the idea, wrote it, designed it, researched it, edited it and my cousin, Frank Mazzola, Jr. illustrated it. I published it myself under the name of Peggotty Beach Books. What fun! It was first printed on July 7, 1986. I'll never forget that day. The book eventually became the #1 best selling book at the New England Aquarium. I was afraid that only my mother would like it. Teachers and kids told me they really liked my book.
While speaking in schools, teachers also told me they were looking for simple non-fiction nature books. It gave me the confidence to write more. My next book, "The Icky Bug Alphabet Book", has sold more than 1 million copies. My third book, "The Bird Alphabet Book" was voted one of the best books of the year by Birders World Magazine. I now have over twenty alphabet books. My goal has always been to write interesting, fact-filled, fun to read, beautifully illustrated color children's books. Thank you to all my illustrators: Ralph Masiello, Frank Mazzola, Jr., Rob Bolster, Edgar Stewart, Leslie
My family moved to Medford, Massachusetts when I was young. I went to elementary school at Mt. Trinity Academy, not far from where my publisher is located in Watertown, Massachusetts. I never wrote a book in elementary school, and we never kept journals. In the neighborhood where I grew up, almost every family had seven to nine children. I guess that you could say that there were...KIDS EVERYWHERE!
I went to high school at Boston College High School, a Jesuit all-boys school in downtown Boston. The priests and other teachers were really wonderful. I played football and ran track. I had a great high school experience and I think later it made my studies in college much easier. My sons Neil and Eric graduated from Boston College High School in 2001 and 2003. Neil was named after a teacher I had, Fr. Neil Callahan, S.J. I never wrote a book in high school, and I never wrote for the school newspaper. I was too shy and was afraid of what other kids would think.
After high school I went to Georgetown University in Washington, D.C. I majored in business, a subject that would help me later in life when I decided to publish my first book. At Georgetown, I met my wife, Linda. In college I was an average student and was captain of the Georgetown University Rugby Team. I never wrote for the college newspaper, and I never imaged writing books. A couple of years later, Linda and I got married and I started to work at an insurance company in Boston. During the first six years of being married, we had four kids. It seemed like there were...KIDS EVERYWHERE!
Today, we spend a lot of time with my 31 nieces and nephews...again...KIDS EVERYWHERE!
I learned valuable skills while talking to people, selling insurance and collecting money. When I came home from work, Linda would ask me to "read to the kids!" I loved reading to my kids and I learned to appreciate children's books. The first few books that we bought were alphabet books and counting books. "A" was always for Apple and "Z" was always for Zebra. One day I decided, "Hey, I can do this!" I had an idea. I would write an alphabet book about the Atlantic Ocean. I spent every summer at Peggotty Beach in Scituate, Massachusetts. I have great memories of lobstering, fishing, mossing, clamming and rowing in my dory.
My first book was written in 1985 when I was 32 years old. I came up with the idea, wrote it, designed it, researched it, edited it and my cousin, Frank Mazzola, Jr. illustrated it. I published it myself under the name of Peggotty Beach Books. What fun! It was first printed on July 7, 1986. I'll never forget that day. The book eventually became the #1 best selling book at the New England Aquarium. I was afraid that only my mother would like it. Teachers and kids told me they really liked my book.
While speaking in schools, teachers also told me they were looking for simple non-fiction nature books. It gave me the confidence to write more. My next book, "The Icky Bug Alphabet Book", has sold more than 1 million copies. My third book, "The Bird Alphabet Book" was voted one of the best books of the year by Birders World Magazine. I now have over twenty alphabet books. My goal has always been to write interesting, fact-filled, fun to read, beautifully illustrated color children's books. Thank you to all my illustrators: Ralph Masiello, Frank Mazzola, Jr., Rob Bolster, Edgar Stewart, Leslie
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Displaying 1 - 21 of 21 reviews
September 4, 2017
Omigosh. I would totally have bought this book when my kids were little. So pretty, and so educational. I love learning about flowers that I just never actually knew before, like hollyhocks. And there's extra information in the frame/ border of each illustration... for example, Pansy has a reference to Titania & Puck, of Midsummer Night's Dream. Families with younger children can just read the primary text and look at the pretty pictures. Older children can read the Artist's notes in the back. A classroom of schoolchildren can each be assigned a flower on which to do further research.
Highly recommended to gardeners as well as to families and classrooms.
Highly recommended to gardeners as well as to families and classrooms.
April 6, 2017
This was an interesting alphabet book that focuses on flowers. And although Jerry Pallotta is known for normally mixing up the common with a bit more of the uncommon I found that this wasn't the case with this particular book. A lot of the flowers were mentioned are rather the normal-run-of-the-mill found in any garden while also simply identifiable - roses, tulips, daffodils, violets, pansies, marigolds, etc.
At the same time something else I have observed with these books is that the plants and animals that are included on the cover are normally not included within the book such as the bleeding hearts. What a disappointment! Otherwise the collection of illustrations are beautiful and well thought out even if the pages seem to be a bit clutter.
For those who like to learn more there is an index in the back that allows the reader to learn more about what a plant was thought to be able to do, the stories behinds its name, the importance of certain flowers and so much more. Definitely a quick, fast and informative read as are most of the other Pallotta alphabet books.
For those who love gardening and/or flowers I would definitely recommend this book for at least a once read-over but especially more so if you have little ones with whom you would like to introduce to the world of flowers. And as a last suggestion this is one book that I would recommend taking some time out of your busy day, finding a nice warm garden bench and maybe even reading to your plants (they say talking to them is healthy for them) for a truly 3D experience.
At the same time something else I have observed with these books is that the plants and animals that are included on the cover are normally not included within the book such as the bleeding hearts. What a disappointment! Otherwise the collection of illustrations are beautiful and well thought out even if the pages seem to be a bit clutter.
For those who like to learn more there is an index in the back that allows the reader to learn more about what a plant was thought to be able to do, the stories behinds its name, the importance of certain flowers and so much more. Definitely a quick, fast and informative read as are most of the other Pallotta alphabet books.
For those who love gardening and/or flowers I would definitely recommend this book for at least a once read-over but especially more so if you have little ones with whom you would like to introduce to the world of flowers. And as a last suggestion this is one book that I would recommend taking some time out of your busy day, finding a nice warm garden bench and maybe even reading to your plants (they say talking to them is healthy for them) for a truly 3D experience.
May 7, 2025
When first looking through the book, I did not understand the illustrations until I got to the end of the book with the artist's notes. The illustrator included some really interesting information that make the art throughout make a lot more sense. For example, the person shown on the violet page is a French Bonapartist because violets were their emblem. I actually find the artist's notes way more interesting than the information written by Pallotta and I wonder why Leslie Evans was not given a book of her own, honestly. I wish I did not have to keep flipping to the artist's notes to make sense of things and that Leslie's notes were on the pages instead. Also, the sunflower page says that they can grow taller "than even the tallest men and women" when it could just say "tallest people" instead.
May 30, 2019
A lovely book that taught me more than anything else I've read to my kid since he was born. Learning the names of flowers and a few tidbits of information about them isn't important, but it is wonderful.
May 15, 2021
This is a great book that has lovely pictures and interesting information about all the different flowers. It’s a fun ABC book for little ones and a wonderful introduction to many garden flowers. Older children will enjoy the facts added to each flower.
September 1, 2018
The book is beautifully illustrated and I liked the information about different flowers.
May 6, 2020
Bright colorful illustrations of beautiful flowers. I just loved it. Highly recommend it.
June 30, 2011
The FLOWER Alphabet Book by Jerry Pallotta is just one of several alphabet books this author has written. The book is illustrated by Leslie Evans. From Amaryllis to Kangaroo Paw and finally to Zinnia, they book is filled with interesting facts about each particular flower. The reader learns that jasmine is used for tea and perfume and violets aren't always violet, they can be also be white or blue.
Continue reading on Examiner.com The FLOWER Alphabet Book by Jerry Pallotta and Leslie Evans--a review - San Francisco fiction | Examiner.com http://www.examiner.com/fiction-in-sa...
August 16, 2015
An alphabetic survey of flowers.
An ok alphabet book. I'm not sure how much kids will get into this. I'm also not entirely sure why there are two spreads for F, but not any other letter (perhaps they needed an extra spread to make the printing come out right???). I did appreciate the notes at the end and definitely recommend reading them. They explain the borders and other pictures on each page, often elaborating on historical significance or origin of the name of the flowers. If you're doing a unit on plants this could be an optional resource.
An ok alphabet book. I'm not sure how much kids will get into this. I'm also not entirely sure why there are two spreads for F, but not any other letter (perhaps they needed an extra spread to make the printing come out right???). I did appreciate the notes at the end and definitely recommend reading them. They explain the borders and other pictures on each page, often elaborating on historical significance or origin of the name of the flowers. If you're doing a unit on plants this could be an optional resource.
September 5, 2016
"The Flower Alphabet Book" was written by Jerry Pallotta and Leslie Evans. This is an alphabet book that has a flower starting with each letter. This book could be read to children as young as three, and students could read independently in the first grade. "The Flower Alphabet Book" could be used in a science lesson about flowers. Each letter of the alphabet has a corresponding flower and it gives a small informative passages about each one. The information is age appropriate for younger readers, including the words throughout. There is no content concerns in this book.
September 20, 2015
When I was a child I generally enjoyed alphabet books. I also enjoyed knowing about science and nature and flowers. This book delivers on both ends. It has some good information without being too heavy or bogged down in facts, and also including a joke or two. It also has some beautiful illustrations. It turns out that I like alphabet books about science and nature and flowers as an adult too, or at least I like this one.
October 24, 2016
This book was a gift from a friend who knows I love alphabet books. I had never heard of the Kangaroo Paw or the Unicorn Root!!! And, I did not know that Queen Anne's Lace is a wild carrot! There is always something new to learn! What a quick few moments of fun with a cup of coffee and an alphabet book.
June 11, 2008
The illustrations were an education in themselves. Each page had significant or historical connections illustrated in the border or background, like Napoleon and violets. The last page had illustrator's notes, which were pretty interesting.
March 16, 2022
The text was very simple, but the illustrations were lovely. Author's notes at the end gave more information about each flower. I know a lot about flowers, but I learned some interesting facts from this.
June 26, 2009
This is another great alphabet book by Jerry Pallotta. It appeals to our love of gardening.
August 13, 2016
Lovely with short blurbs about some of my favorite flowers. More about flowers than about learning letters.
September 4, 2024
It's more of a non-fiction kid's book, but I liked it a lot.
July 29, 2011
I love the alphabet books that teach me something I don't know and this one did that
September 23, 2013
This was an okay book. Lots of lovely flowers, although no Heather's. :(
April 26, 2017
A bit random, but much easier to pronounce flowers than in some other flower alphabet books.
December 11, 2018
Such a creative book! Beautiful pictures of flowers throughout!
Displaying 1 - 21 of 21 reviews