Customer Reviews

The Bird Alphabet Book (Jerry Pallotta's Alphabet Books)

5 star:		(6)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

This is a wonderful book for its concept and illustrations. If it's meant to help teach the alphabet to young children (which I believe it was judging from the picture of the toddler on the last page), then some of the bird choices for letters are too complex. Examples: A is for Atlantic Puffin, N is for Northern Cardinal, W is for White-Faced Scops Owl. This is an ambitious attempt to be precise, but it is does not match the cognitive and linguistic stage of a very young child. Still, it's a nice book, especially if you want to inspire a child's curiosity about birds.

I bought this book because one of my new students has claimed the classroom copy as her favorite book. Each day she looks for it. She has carried it for almost a month. She is about 3.5 years of age. She asked me to sit with her while she read to me. She pointed out her book was about "birds." There are three larger birds on the cover over a nest of baby birds. The "reader identified them as, "Mama, Daddy, Me. 'Mama, Daddy & me go home." The baby birds with their mouths open were identified as "baby birds". She pointed out the red and the blue (feathers) on the wings of two of the big birds. Also,she said, "Mama went to get food for the baby. Baby want snack." If you notice the feet of the birds you might understand why she said they were coming home (legs & feet were down like they were ready to land)" I think Mr. Pallotta would have enjoyed watching her. No, she was not interested in the sequence of the alphabet or the names of the birds but she was enjoying the book. I could go on with her comments and how she related to the locations, colors, perceived emotions like hunger, happiness and the bird for Jj. The "reader" looked at the picture of the bird for Jj and said, "One foot was raised (right here, pointing her finger) because the water (was) hot". The enjoyment was written all over her face as she laughed at what she said. Seeing herself as a reader is another necessary component of literacy. My eyes teared up because it was obvious someone had read and discussed what they read with her before she started preK. Her first name starts with a "R" and she recognized it and the "3 birds on her R".

This was a great book. My 2 year old loves it. It is one of her most favorite books. We get it out of the library often and now I must buy it because she doesn't like taking it back.

Jerry Pallotta books are an exciting and unique way to learn the alphabet. No more A is for Apple Z is for Zebra! Details are perfect for my 4 year old to understand and remember. We've read as many Jerry Pallotta books as I an find.

I liked about the story is when I got to j.The Jacana birds have tall feet- Brianne Wade. I like the story because the Atlantic Puffins have colorful beaks -Raven Smalls.

This is another in Jerry Palotta's amazing series which teaches the alphabet and counting to children using information that adults will also enjoy. The illustrations are beautiful, the factual information is interesting, and the book is so colorful it will engage even the youngest "reader." My three month old grandson loves to be read to and the eye-catching illustrations grab his attention. His parents are happy to be reading something other than 'a is for apple' so they are much more inclined to read to him daily.

Unless you are a birder, the information provided imparts new facts to both the reader and the person being read to. Therein lies my reason for downgrading this book to four stars when it could have a five star product. In what I assume is an attempt at humor, Palotta has bats as the first "bird" for the letter "B." In the text, he tells the reader that bats are actually mammals that can fly and then goes on to list a bird which does begin with the letter "B." I have known many an argumentative two year old who would insist that a bat is a bird because this is a bird book and the bat is in it. Thus, I would have preferred sparing the child confusion in having to explain Palotta was being "humorous" and sparing parents having to reason with a verbal toddler.

I read this to my girls from a very young age and by age two they could identify many birds by name. It would be neat to know where all these birds live in the world. Otherwise, it's a lot of fun. How many two years olds would put a spoon backwards in their mouth and say "look mommy, I'm a spoonbill"! They have also learned about nests, what birds eat, and more. Different illustrator than the "Icky Bug" books but very nicely done. (Realistic not cartoony).

My son and I absolutely love Jerry Pallotta's Alphabet books. My son is only two-years-old, and I don't think he probably understands half of what I'm reading (and sometimes I'm not even sure if I'm pronouncing the animal, machine, etc. correctly), but he still can't get enough of these books. We own all of them and could never say which is our favorite. I have learned a lot from the books, and my son picks up something new every time we read them.