Customer Reviews

A to Z

5 star:		(10)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(3)

 

 

A to Z has a big problem in my opinion. It is a very simple children's book with some very cute illustrations of animals (A to Z). Each animal is engaged in an action that also begins with the first letter of it's name (e.g. Kangaroos Kissing). There are lots of made up animals, I'm assuming to account for the rarity of animals beginning with "Q" and "X" etc. The part that I don't like is the fictitious "Uglybirds" whose action is simply "Being Ugly". The illustration that goes along with this so-called ugliness is very disturbing. The "Uglybirds" have atypical bird features that seem intentional. They are green and purple, and have messed up feathers and big bulging eyes and are very "Different" from the "normal" birds in this and other books. Upon reading this, my wife and I agreed that we would never repeat this section while reading to our daughter. Although I do intend on teaching my daughter about ugliness (Racism, Violence, contempt, etc.). I think that it is a quality that shouldn't be used to describe physical appearance. When my daughter encounters a person who is physically unusual, I hope that I have instilled in her the values to disregard what others might find "Ugly". I know that some might think that I'm overanalyzing such an innocent entry in a child's book, I think that parents need to be more careful about the messages that they are sending about ugliness.

This is a great book which my son loves to read. It teaches him his ABC's plus the pictures are great. We have almost all of Sandra Boynton's book collection. Highly recommend it.

Sandra Boynton's brightly color books have rhymed their way into our family's heart- and this is one of her classics. We can recite most of her bouncy upbeat board books without even opening them. If I could meet this author, I would throw my arms around her and thank her for the millions of giggles her whimsical books have brought to my children.

This book is a work of art for little non-readers, and readers alike. Sandra Boynton's illustrations are so expresive they can tell the story without the words. My sister and I just love the pictures!

Adorable book for young children. Teaches the alphabet in an educational, fun manner using a lot of age appropriate pictures. My 3 year old loves this book just has her older brother did when he was her age.

A very short alphabet book, with each letter illustrated by an adjective-noun pair. The animals get a little weird at the end of the book (xylo xylophoning? Uglybird being ugly?), but that's only to be expected.

A wonderful alphabet book for babies and toddlers, amusingly written and illustrated by Sandra Boynton!

My 3yr old absolutely adores this book!!Its so much fun reading with him and having a book that is teaching him while he's having fun. Its easy and light and does not get him frustrated like other books I've tried to use to get him to learn something. I've learned that Boynton books are a great way to learn and yet still let a child be a child....after all I don't think that at 3 he has to know what college he's going to and what his profession should be....If me reading "U, uglybirds being ugly" makes him giggle, its the best thing in the world!!!

Our daughter at age 3 is obsessed with the alphabet and gets a kick out of this book, she loves the pictures and silliness.

My 4-month-old daughter LOVES Sandra Boynton books. We have ten of them and they are her favorites. She loves the simple stories and the bright, vibrant pictures. I point to the words and the pictures as we go through them & she giggles almost non-stop. She even tries to help me turn the pages. (Of course, she also has tried to eat the books, but she's only four months old.)

There seems to be a lot of discussion regarding the "ugly birds." As an education professional, I think it is important not to under-estimate the intelligence of children. Many will take the phrase at face-value and see it for what it is, a silly statement that sounds funny and "tickles" when you read it.