A Is for Amos [Hardcover]

Deborah Chandra (Author), Keiko Narahashi (Illustrator)

Book Description

Publication Date: March 4, 1999 | Grade Level: P and up

Clippety clap clippety clap
A is for Amos and I'm on his back
B for the bumpety bridge we cross
C for the clippety clop of his trot . . .

So begins an infectious rhythmic chant that takes a girl on an imaginary adventure on a wonderful horse. The countryside, the animals they see along the way, and a dramatic storm all figure in a story that takes its lead from the progression of the alphabet. Energetic watercolor illustrations adroitly capture the excitement of the ride, one readers will want to take again and again.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

In this unique combination of alphabet book and storybook, Chandra's (Balloons and Other Poems) galloping rhymes and Narahashi's (I Have a Friend) inviting watercolors take an imaginative cowgirl for a memorable ride. The title page features a jeans-clad, barefoot girl staring wistfully out the window with her calico rocking horse in the foreground. At the turn of each succeeding page, the girl is riding a real horse (the A for Amos of the title, also calico), as they go "B for the bumpity bridge we cross/ C for the clippety clop of his trot," and so on through the alphabet. They ride past the F for farmer and through M for mud ("Sloppity cloppety thumpety thud/ Past pigs in a puddle/ M is for mud"). They hurry to get out of the rain ("V for weather vane that's twirling/ W for wild wind whirling") and finally reach the cozy barn ("X for extra-dry and warm") where the walls fade back to the wallpaper print of the girl's room. Chandra inventively moves along the alliterative lines and each featured letter is bold-faced for easy recognition. Narahashi's exuberant characters feature in varied compositions that shine with golden hues. This alphabetical tale is a charmer, from A to Z. Ages 2-6.
Copyright 1999 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From School Library Journal

PreSchool-Grade 1-An unnamed girl narrates this rhyming alphabetical ride across an imaginary farm. Dressed in a T-shirt, blue overalls, and a red cowboy hat, she leaps onto her rocking horse's back and together they leave the walls of her room behind. Amos's hooves beat out the rhythm, while soft yet vivid watercolors capture the essence of the text. In a few places, the layout is confusing; on the same two-page spread, the illustration for one letter might occupy a page and a half while the illustration for another is assigned a corner. In spite of this and the fact that the rhyme is awkward in spots, youngsters will enjoy the girl's adventurous spirit.
Melanie C. Duncan, Washington Memorial Library, Macon, GA
Copyright 1999 Reed Business Information, Inc.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Hardcover: 32 pages
• Publisher: Farrar, Straus and Giroux (BYR); 1st edition (March 4, 1999)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0307119971
• ISBN-13: 978-0307119971
• ASIN: 0374300011
• Product Dimensions: 8 x 7.9 x 0.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.4 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,109,213 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars romping, lyrical, delightful and will be much-loved!, April 4, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: A Is for Amos (Hardcover)

This rhyming, rollicking story is delightful and reminds me of more old-fashioned stories from my youth. It is simple and straight-forward, yet absolutely skilled in its use of capital letters to emphasize the letters of the alphabet and how they are used within the context of a memorable story of a girl riding a horse across the countryside. A is for Amos will definitely be a hit with your preschoolers and learning to read children. I have ordered several copies for our library in Oklahoma! Bravo!