Through the Looking Glass Children's Book Reviews
T is for Teachers: A School Alphabet
Illustrator: Doris Ettlinger
Nonfiction
For ages 4 to 10
Sleeping Bear Press, 2005 ISBN: 978-1585361595
For many of us our teachers are very special people in our lives. They give us encouragement and support as we learn the alphabet, as we figure out how to do basic math, and as we go on to more and more advanced subjects. Our school lives are full of all kinds of new things to try, new people to meet, and new things to learn.
In this unique alphabet book young readers will explore some of the things, places, and people that make their time at school special. For each letter of the alphabet the authors introduce a different aspect of school life. For example, for the letter G the authors discuss the “gymnasium,” that place where we play games and strengthen our bodies. For the letter L we meet the school librarian, a man or woman who opens up a whole world of books to us.
For younger readers going to school for the first time this book could serve as a very valuable guide to help them become acquainted with school life. Simple rhyming poems accompany every letter of the alphabet introducing the concept shown in the illustration in the background. For the older reader there is a sidebar of text which explores the concept further providing the reader with all kinds of fascinating additional information. For example on the O page readers will learn all about one-room schoolhouses and how these early schools were a common from the 1700’s until the 1950’s. They will learn that older children were often expected to help the younger ones and that it wasn’t unusual to have students ranging from the ages of 4 to 18 all in one room.
Warm cheerful illustrations, attractive rhymes, and interesting text combine to make this a winning alphabet book title.
