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A Is for Bee: An Alphabet Book in Translation
CCBC Review:
This playful and sophisticated alphabet book toys with translation in a visually engaging way. As the title suggests, animals that are typically symbolic of letters in the English language are substituted for animals in over 50 world languages, including several Indigenous languages. For example, the letter “D” is not for “Dog,” rather, “D is for Turtle. Daksi in Cherokee, Dortoka in Basque, Deckelsmouk in Luxembourish, and Dtào in Thai.” Clever scratchboard illustrations show English alphabet shapes, while hand-lettered text showcases several languages for each concept. A QR code links to the publisher’s webpage where native or fluent speakers pronounce the words that appear in the book. An author’s note explores cultural details about animals and vocabulary, as well as complications with transliterating words into English using the Roman, or Latin, alphabet. ©2022 Cooperative Children’s Book Center
Illustrated by Ellen Heck
CCBC Age Recommendation: Ages 6-10
Age Range:
PreK-Early Elementary (Ages 4-7)
Grades 3-5 (Ages 8-10)
Format:
Picture book
Subjects:
Alphabet Books
World Languages
Diversity subject:
Multicultural General
Publisher:
Levine Querido
Publish Year: 2022
Pages: 32
ISBN: 9781646141272
CCBC Location: Picture Book, Heck