The War Between the Vowels and the Consonants [Hardcover]

Priscilla Turner (Author), Whitney Turner (Illustrator)

Book Description

Publication Date: September 18, 1996 | Age Level: 4 and up | Grade Level: P and up

The unknown history of letters

For as long as any letter could remember, Vowels and Consonants had been enemies.

U without N? Q without U? Mpssh! you say. Yet once, long ago, P's and Q's minded their p's and q's, and though U and I deserved not one iota of respect. For their part, Vowels knew only that the dot on the youngest i was far moe important than the most capital W.

And so they came to wage a fierce war to prove who were the better letters. But as S's outflank E's and O's surround H's, an enemy of all the alphabet appers on the horizon--one which neither Vowels or Consonants can conquer alone.

In this hilarious look at the hidden life of letters, Priscilla and Whitney Turner reveal how sworn enemies become allies and discovered what you and I now take for granted: that the pen is mightier than the swrd.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

In the turn-of-the-century world pictured in this clever "history," upper-case Vowels don't let their lower-case kids play with little Consonants, and "Consonants [prefer] their own sounds: PRGHT! or SSSSP! Good, strong, snapping noises." Petty skirmishes escalate into a civil war: Vowels strategize ("We'll hit them with our screeching sounds"), Consonants attack an EIEIO formation ("Let those barnyard sounds try to stop the snarling GRRR's") and Y's become "a house divided." The Turners, a sister-and-brother team, trump standard alphabet books with this singular story, which concludes as the battling letters finally unite to fight a greater foe: a giant, illegible scribble. Priscilla Turner's inventive wordplay is an exercise in pronunciation, as when the Consonants send in "the freezing BR's." Whitney Turner's expressive Vowels and Consonants posture with stick arms and legs and the merest hints of facial features. They do battle in single-engine planes shaped like T's and E's, and at the happy ending, dancing pairs spell out "WE" and "US." What a bunch of characters! Ages 4-8.
Copyright 1996 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From School Library Journal

Grade 2-4?Narrated in a pseudo-serious tone, this is the fable of vowels and consonants who do not get along. There is terrible bickering and constant rivalry between them. Finally, war is declared and a conflagration occurs complete with dive-bombing T's, marching D's, spear-tossing J's, and paratrooper U's. Amid the fighting, a scrawling, formless chaos appears. Individually, the letters cannot halt the scratching threat of disaster, but when they cooperate and form actual words, the jumbled scrawl at last rolls out of town. This is a stilted attempt to teach about vowels and consonants through adult humor. Shaping actual letters into characters with spindly arms and legs and headless faces is too cute, and the story line falls flat. The colorful, busy watercolor illustrations do little to pick up the story. There is a condescending tone that children will see through, and they'll find little to enjoy in this obvious grammar lesson. This book is too clever for words, and an unnecessary offering.?Beth Tegart, Oneida City Schools, NY
Copyright 1996 Reed Business Information, Inc.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 4 and up
  
• Hardcover: 32 pages
• Publisher: Farrar, Straus and Giroux (BYR); 1st edition (September 18, 1996)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0374382360
• ISBN-13: 978-0374382360
• Product Dimensions: 11.3 x 9 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 14.2 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (9 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,508,562 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

14 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Toccoa, GA, USA, April 25, 2001

By A Customer

This review is from: The War Between the Vowels and the Consonants (Hardcover)

.... My six year old JUST LOVED this story, the humor is right on target for a child who is learning about the difference between vowels, consonants, letters sounds, etc. Even more so for the emerging reader that can actually read much if the book themselves , including the ending when all the letters "join forces" to spell out a message. This is not a phonics book, rather a humorous tale with a moral. Nurturing good reading habits in young readers involves not only helping them understand that books can introduce them to new ideas and take them to far away places but also that the books they read can be funny and truly make them laugh out loud. This book surely fits the bill!

11 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars This is an excellent book for classroom use!, July 17, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: The War Between the Vowels and the Consonants (Hardcover)

Children having difficulty differentiating between vowels and consonants can now "see" the difference. This will help in their comprehension of phonics. Also, this would be an outstanding story to aid in teaching conflict resolution!

13 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Boys love this book, August 11, 2002

By 

LN Phillips (Northern CA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The War Between the Vowels and the Consonants (Paperback)

The essence of vowels is very different than the essence of consonants, and in this story vowels and consonants become characters in separatist communities whose mutual irritation with the other escallates into war.

The qualities of the letters is depicted very cleverly, and the illustrations very playfully draw attention to the letters in a much more charming way than the typical ABC book. The battle scenes are a big favorite for the boys who will ask to read the book over and over again. And the ending leaves seeds for thought both in how letters work together and in how people live together.