Tangerines and Tea, My Grandparents and Me: An Alphabet Book by Ona Gritz, Yumi Heo (Illustrator)

From the Publisher

With heartwarming illustrations and fun rhymes, this alphabet book is perfect for grandchildren and grandparents alike!

Visiting grandparents is always an adventure, whether rooting through drawers, playing pretend, or relaxing and reading together in a comfortable chair. Join two boisterous siblings as they leave home to be guests on their grandparents' farm during different seasons of the year. Providing fun rhymes like "the songs we sing while we sit on the swing," and "an oak tree to climb one limb at a time," both adults and children will have fun singing and reading along together, as they learn the alphabet!

Yumi Heo's whimsical illustrations provide the perfect complement to the rhythm of Ona Gritz's jubilant ABC text. Grandchildren of all ages will recognize themselves in this book's appreciative look at the warmth and happiness that grandparents provide.

Jacki Vawter, Ph.D. - Children's Literature

This alphabet book is appealing for many reasons. The storyline from A to Z deals with a boy and girl's visit to their grandparents' farm. Each alphabet letter is presented in alliterative rhyme with brevity and simplicity. No single letter of the alphabet shouts its name or is prominently displayed. Instead a phrase is offered in a stream of descriptive phrases about the farm visit, such as "the quiet of night with our quilts tucked in tight" or "an oak tree to climb one limb at a time." The illustrations are flat-painted pencil drawings varying in style from surrealistic to expressionistic. Many different patterns of backdrops make for a colorful visual feast on each page. A half-page note from the artist appears on the copyright page in which the approach and technique are explained. The fixed pigtails on the girl and the old-fashioned hairdo of the boy provide a distinctive look to the main characters. The whimsy of the illustrations and the rhythm of the text make this book unique among the number of alphabet books with which it will compete. 2005, Harry N. Abrams, Ages 4 to 7.

School Library Journal

PreS-Gr 1-Alphabetical alliterative rhymes describe the experiences of two children spending time with their grandparents. "A farm where we're free to pick fruit off a tree" and "the songs we sing while we sit on the swing" are what these siblings enjoy most with their relatives. Unfortunately, the corresponding letters of the alphabet are not showcased with the rhymes, making this a weak concept book. Each page includes a pencil-and-oil painting that clearly conveys the happiness that these children feel in the company of their grandparents. Floors, wallpaper prints, quilts, lampshades, crockery, and curtains offer layers of delightful patterns to engage the eye. Buy this for its charming testament to time together and its enchanting artwork; for a beautifully illustrated concept book, try Alison Jay's ABC: A Child's First Alphabet Book (Dutton, 2003).-Kristine M. Casper, Huntington Public Library, NY Copyright 2005 Reed Business Information.

Kirkus Reviews

A quite unusual abcedarium presents the letters of the alphabet in alliterative one-line rhymes, e.g. "a boy in bath with bubbly laugh," depicted in Heo's whimsical style. After the first word, "Apples," there is no capitalization (except for the pronoun "I") in the continuous string of phrases and sentences, just commas that separate each page, without the letters represented in the illustrations. Nowhere in the text are the familial relationships of the two children and two adults made clear or that the rhymes form a thinly threaded story; the jacket blurb is the only place to spell out that it's a brother and sister visiting grandparents on their farm during different seasons. Some poetic images are less evocative than others: "icing to try for those quicker than I" (finger swiping icing from a cake slice). For Q, "the quiet of night with our quilts tucked in tight." Obviously, not an ABC book for learning letters but it could be an interesting sharing exercise. Arch, brash, cunning. (Picture book. 6-8)

Product Details