Customer Reviews

The Z Was Zapped: A Play in Twenty-Six Acts

5 star:		(21)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

This is more than just an alphabet book. Older children love this book. For a fun book innovation using alliteration read The Z was Zapped. Brainstorm verbs that begin with each letter of the alphabet. Assign each student a letter. Require each letter to have a sentence such as for letter A: The A was accepted into an association. Title your class's book something like: The Z was Zipped-up. This is a fun way to meet state content standard for alliteration. I have used this idea with 5th and 3rd graders for three years and tied it into many of this author's works. Awesome illustrations!

I am a huge fan of Chris Van Allsburg and own several of his books. My son (almost three) is still too young for most of them. This one, however, he enjoys. It's an alphabet book as only Chris Van Allsburg could do it--theatrical, eerie, and lots of fun. Dramatic things happen to each of the letters. The W is warped, the Z is zapped and so forth. Many of the concepts, such as warping and disappearing, are rather abstract, so this is probably not the first alphabet book you want to use with your children. But once you are past the "A is for apple" stage, this book is marvelous. Terrific for vocabulary-building. I've seen it showcased at several teacher conventions.

Amazing
Black & White Illustrations
(Cleverly
Drawn)
Encourage
Folks to
Guess what
Happens that
Ingeniously
Jeopardizes all
Kinds of
Letters.
Many
Naturally
Observant
People
Quickly
Realize
Some
Talent
Underneath
Van Allsburg's
Warped &
eXceptionally
Youthful
Zeal.

Any reader who has encountered the illustrations of Chris Van Allsburg will know they are in for a treat with this ABC book. Each page features one letter of the alphabet rendered by Chris in black and white drawings that are marvellously compelling. On the opposite page is a one line description of what is happening to the letter. For example, the "G" is depicted with leaves and thorns poking out of it, with the phrase on the corresponding page stating "The G was starting to grow."

This book elegantly conveys the entire alphabet with pictures and few words. Despite it's appearance of simplicity, adults may well find this picture book as engaging as children do. I consider this book to be perfect for children learning the alphabet. It's a fundamental part of many of the nursery school classes I have encountered. The large pictures and simple sentences allow large groups of children to see the letters from a distance. After one or two readings, children will be calling out the words before the parent or teacher does. I have yet to encounter a class that doesn't delightfully chime in with "And the Z was finally Zapped!" at the end...

I have a two and a three yr old, both girls, and they love guessing what happens (it shows the picture on the first page then explains "The K was quietly kidnapped" on the next page) When I first read it, I found some of the letters to be a little on the dark side (k was kidnapped, Q was quartered, D was nearly drowned, etc) and although I hesitated giving it to my kids, it is one of their favorite books.

This is a classic amoung alphabet picture books. I have always loved the simplicity of alphabet books. Sharing them with children is more fun than anything. But Allsburg takes the fun up a notch with exciting illustrations and a witty humorous twist to the traditional alphabet book. Though his drawings are in black and white because they were done in pencil, Allsburg captures the reader and the audience in a refreshing rendition of this beginning reader collection.
As a liesure artist, I find Allsburg's work very refreshing. His illustrations are detailed and realistic. In this particular collection, Allsburg demonstrates mastery in shading and form. I love his illustrations. Any child that loves to draw will be inspired by Allsburg's work.
I also love the way Allsburg's illustrations bait the reader to guess what words are used to describe what is happening to each letter. By strategically placing the words for each illustration on the back, readers are encouraged to say what they think is happening. Dialogue is an exciting way to learn reading. By encouraging this kind of sharing, Allsburg has created an excellent book for children learning to read.
Allsburg is an inspiration to young writers and artists. This is not his first children's book and only adds to an already growing collection of fantastic works. Every teacher, babysitter, storyteller and parent should keep this one handy as well as a pad of paper and plenty of extra pencils. Once you've read The Z Was Zapped you will want to put your hands to work as well.

The Z was Zapped is an alphabet book. The book presents the letters in different acts. One act per letter. The book starts out with a picture of the letter of the letter A with rocks falling down around it. You turn the page and the text says "The A was in an avalanche." On the opposite side of the page, there is the picture of the letter B. The picture has the letter B getting bitten by a bear. This format continues through out the whole book. Once you understand how this book is laid out and why it is done this way, the book makes sense. Initially, if you are unaware of why this is happening, it might be somewhat confusing as the pictures do not seem to go with the words. The artwork in this book is fabulous. The pictures are black and white sketches done in pencil. There is an incredible amount of detail in these pictures. Readers will gain some knowledge of new words which the pictures help to clearly illustrate the concept. This is a wonderful book.

This is an alphabet book with beautiful pencil drawings. This book has phrases about every letter in the English alphabet. All the letters have something happen to them. I like the alphabet letters because their drawn nicely. From Z1s being zapped to A1s in avalanches, you should read this book!

A friend gave me this book when it was published in 1987. It is by far my favorite Chris Van Allsburg children's book. Also suitable for adults. The art is conceptually intriguing -- exactly WHAT is happening in each picture? That's for the reader to guess, sometimes successfully, sometimes not. The answers are all alliterative and literate, with a wonderful rhythm and sense of fun. The drawing for "P" shows a capital P with a bird perched on top, and the bird seems to have eaten away part of the letter. The answer, which always comes on the following page, is "The P was repeatedly Pecked." I guessed "The P was Pecked," but I didn't guess "The P was repeatedly Pecked," which is soooooo much better. An alphabet book to be read and enjoyed, many times over.

Chris Van Allsburg had produced another invaluable children's picture book. Each letter depicts an action beginning with it's letter in a fun way. . . the M is melting, the N is nailed. The illustrations are Van Allsburg's infamous black and white trademark, but still intriguing to children and adults alike. A must have book.