Through the Looking Glass Children's Book Reviews
A is for Axel: An Ice Skating Alphabet
Illustrator: Melanie Rose
Nonfiction picture and poetry book Series
For ages 6 to 12
Sleeping Bear Press, 2005 ISBN: 978-1585362806
For many young people skating is not just a wonderful sport; it is also a passion. They simply cannot get enough of that wonderful sensation of gliding across the ice forwards or backwards, of spinning in place, of making figure eights, or of flying through the air to land gracefully on the ice.
In this alphabet book the author celebrates ice skating history, the moves, the tools that skaters use, the people who love the sport, the kinds of skating that there are, and much more. Whether you love the beauty of ice dancing, the competitiveness of the Olympics, or simply gliding around your local ice rink, you are sure to find something here to interest you.
For each letter of the alphabet the author introduces a topic in a short rhyming poem. These poems are well suited for the younger reader, and the accompanying artwork perfectly sets the scene for the rhymes. The topics are then expanded upon in depth in a sidebar of text, which older readers will find engaging and interesting. The book can therefore grow with the reader, and can be enjoyed for many years and at many levels.
This is one of a series of alphabet books published by Sleeping Bear Press.
