The Alphabet From Z to A: (With Much Confusion on the Way) [Hardcover]

Judith Viorst (Author), Richard Hull (Illustrator)

Book Description

Publication Date: March 1, 1994 | Series: With Much Confusion on the Way

In The Alphabet from Z to A (With Much Confusion on the Way), Judith Viorst once again applies her clear-sighted wit to a subject of universal appeal, turning the traditional alphabet book on its head by going through the alphabet backwards. Viorst's lively verse irreverently demonstrates that the spellings and sounds of our language are often so maddeningly inconsistent -- "blue" and "blew," "chute" and "shoe" -- that, as her exasperated narrator complains, "It could drive you berserk." Aimed at children who already have some facility with language (and at anyone else who likes to play with words), The Alphabet from Z to A is an entertaining and thought-provoking romp through the quirks and quagmires of the English language. Richard Hull's exquisite drawings enrich the text and offer a playful challenge.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Progressing through the alphabet in an unorthodox direction, Viorst's breezy roundup of words focuses on a number of the English language's curiosities and inconsistencies. Included are sound-alike letters ("Q is for Queue, but not CUE"; "J is for JEWEL but not GEM"); silent letters ("T's for TURKEY, / But back in the dinosaur days lived a bird / Named--help!--PTERODACTYL"); and homophones ("I is for I (But not EYE) / And for ISLE but not AISLE"). Refreshingly, Viorst's offers anything but a basic introduction to phonetics: "P is for PHONE, PHILODENDRON, / and PHYSICAL fitness, / Which only counts half. / Wish we could spell the word PHITNESS, / But they won't permit it." Rather, her verse is a pleasing blend of playfulness and sophistication--qualities also present in Hull's lapidary art. Rendered in acrylics, his detailed, often fantastical pictures cleverly incorporate the items mentioned in Viorst's rhymes--as well as a devilish number of other objects that begin with the spotlighted letter (a list of these at book's end will let readers check their acumen). It all makes for good (and vocabulary-building) phun. Ages 7-10.
Copyright 1994 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From School Library Journal

Grade 2-5-"An alphabet book for folks who already know their ABCs." Presented in reverse order, with observations and discussions about the oddities of the English language, this is an intriguing look at how words are spelled and pronounced. Viorst laments the fact that "W is for WHO but not HOOT," "U is for UNICORN but not ONION," "J is for JEWEL but not GEM," and so on. Written in loose clever verse, the peculiarities of the sounds and sights of each of the 26 letters are presented. The illustrations are beautifully detailed acrylic paintings with many small objects beginning with that letter intertwined with the letter itself, much like a medieval manuscript. There is lots of white space around each letter, though the pictures are too small for large group use. Hull's colors and style are reminiscent of Graeme Base's in Animalia (Abrams, 1987), although not as opulent. Older chldren may find this helpful in a study of linguistics; it may even inspire them to find examples of their own. There is an author's note and a list of all the items to identify in each illustration. An additional curiosity for extensive alphabet collections.
Beth Tegart, Oneida City Schools, NY
Copyright 1994 Reed Business Information, Inc.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Hardcover: 32 pages
• Publisher: Atheneum; 1 edition (March 1, 1994)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0689317689
• ISBN-13: 978-0689317682
• Product Dimensions: 11.1 x 8.2 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,966,663 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Judith Viorst has written many books for children, including the classics Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day and its sequels, and If I Were in Charge of the World and Other Stories. She is also the author of Just in Case, illustrated by Diana Cain Bluthenthal. She lives with her husband, Milton, in Washington D.C.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Unconventional verse alphabet, September 14, 2004

By 

Kara Reuter (Columbus, OH) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Alphabet From Z to A: (With Much Confusion on the Way) (Hardcover)

Judith Viorst's The Alphabet from Z to A (with much confusion on the way) is a rather unconventional alphabet book in verse. Starting at the end of the alphabet and progressing forward, each letter has one page devoted to it with verses ranging from two to seven lines, in varying rhythms. The verses address the confusing idiosyncrasies of the English language, complaining about homonyms, silent letters, and other anomalies in a slyly exasperated tone:

R is for RING, RANG, and RUNG,

And yet RONG would be wrong, dear.

Q is for QUEUE, but not CUE.

And for one QUIET QUESTION:

Are we almost done?

Answer: There's sixteen more letters

Still left in this song, dear.

The verses are accompanied by Richard Hull's surreal illustrations, done in crest- and seal-like vignettes against a stark white background. Observant readers will discover all kinds of objects starting with the same letter embedded in the exquisite illustrations. (The end of the book introduces a participatory aspect in the form of a list of words to be found in the book for a game of "I Spy" with difficult vocabulary for even highly-literate adults, such as xerophyte and kyphosis. Parenthetical definitions, explanations, and humorous asides obviate the need for the dictionary for these words, as well as words children may not know, such as olive drab and arbor.) The back cover describes the book as "An alphabet book for folks who already know their ABCs." Children who are grappling with the difficulties of matching letters and sounds in English will appreciate the tone of the verses and may even develop a special fondness for the idiosyncratic nature of our quirky language.