The Extinct Alphabet Book (Jerry Pallotta's Alphabet Books) [Paperback]

Jerry Pallotta (Author), Ralph Masiello (Illustrator)

Book Description

Age Level: 6 and up | Grade Level: 1 and up | Series: Jerry Pallotta's Alphabet Books

Each letter of the alphabet features information about a creature that no longer exists.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

"H" is for Hallucigenia--a creature so startling in appearance that the scientists who discovered its fossils thought they were hallucinating. "X" is for Xerces Blue--a gossamer-winged butterfly that dwelled on one particular hill in San Francisco, until urban expansion destroyed its habitat. This alphabetized assembly of bygone species mixes the ancient and contemporary, the bizarre and beautiful. Pallotta's conversational text swings between scientific ("Fossilization occurs when minerals replace what used to be the bones of an animal") and silly ("K is for Kaka . . . If we could go back in time and talk to this bird it would probably say, 'I wish I had a different name' "); between an activist's gravity and a punster's levity. Masiello's exotically colored oil paintings lend the text needed weight and, if readers look closely, wit. Although the book's tone and information are well beyond the comprehension skills of letter-learners, the alphabet device serves to marshal the roster of extinct species without rebuffing adventurous preschoolers. Nothing so obvious as a dinosaur is included, but neither are pronunciations of words sure to fluster even the most confident readers. Ages 3-8.
Copyright 1993 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From School Library Journal

Grade 2-3-Extinction is the theme of this sometimes silly, sometimes serious alphabet book. Small bits of information are interspersed with occasional explanations and humorous asides. Entries range from the little known African Quagga to Neanderthal Men and Women. Much of the text tends towards the simplistic. Stating that "Blue Bucks (sic) became extinct when people killed them for dog food" is more misleading than funny, since these South African mammals were hunted to extinction by white settlers before 1800. Masiello's full-color oil paintings tend to be dark but interesting, with an occasional bizarre slant. Better titles both on the alphabet and on extinction exist.
Eva Elisabeth Von Ancken, Trinity Pawling School, NY
Copyright 1994 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

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Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 6 and up
  
• Paperback: 32 pages
• Publisher: Charlesbridge Publishing (August 1, 1993)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 088106470X
• ISBN-13: 978-0881064704
• Product Dimensions: 10.2 x 7.7 x 0.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 6.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (65 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #457,166 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars So much fun!, September 5, 2005

By 

Anubis (United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Extinct Alphabet Book (Jerry Pallotta's Alphabet Books) (Paperback)

I remember reading this book in 2nd grade. It was so interesting to learn about these animals I'd never seen before. The pictures are wonderful, they don't show fossils and bones, they show what scientists believe the animals actually looked like. It's really fascinating, even as an adult to look at those pictures and wonder what it would be like to see those animals at the zoo or in my back yard. I highly recommend this book for any child or adult interested in animals!

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Use this as a springboard for your intermediate students!, August 3, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: The Extinct Alphabet Book (Jerry Pallotta's Alphabet Books) (Paperback)

Many alphabet books are too young for those middle grade students who think alphabet books are silly! This book is excellent because it will teach them some things they don't know and it doesn't talk down to them at all! I use it to illustrate how alphabet books can enhance their social studies and science curriculum. We make a big book in 4th grade of California history terms a-z! We also use it to demonstrate new adjectives we've learned... an a-z book complete with illustrations! Using this book as a springboard, the ideas are limited only by your kids' imaginations!!

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Dylan at Ashly River El., February 13, 2001

A Kid's Review

This review is from: The Extinct Alphabet Book (Jerry Pallotta's Alphabet Books) (Paperback)

My most favorite part of the book was the hidden messages. One animal in the book wasn't extinct. The great shark wasn't shown but its tooth was shown.