Tomorrow's Alphabet by George Shannon, Donald Crews (Illustrator)

From the Publisher

A is for seed, B is for eggs, C is for milk — what's going on here? The seed is tomorrows Apple, the eggs are tomorrows Birds, the milk is tomorrows Cheese! Explore a wonderful world of possibility with an imaginative alphabet puzzle that encouraged young readers to look beyond the obvious.

New York Times

Lots to talk about here, and clever illustrations.

Publishers Weekly

How, in an alphabet book, can the letter "A" stand for "seed"? Though the "A is for seed" syntax is not logical, Shannon's (Stories to Solve: Folktales from Around the World) amusing, letter-based word game teaches that a seed is "tomorrow's apple"; "E" is for campfire (tomorrow's embers), etc. Crews (Freight Train; Truck) depicts each subject with fairly realistic, up-close, page-filling images. The arrangement, however-the letter and non-letter object face the page with the appropriately lettered object, allowing the reader to see the answer in a glance-diminishes the surprise and the guessing that might ensue if the answer were unseen, i.e., on the following page or behind a flap. Examples such as "Y is for sheep-tomorrow's yarn" might be a bit of a stretch (in an earlier reference, "H" stands for yarn-"tomorrow's hat"), and the premise may confuse those with a shaky knowledge of the ABCs. On the other hand, young readers who have mastered the alphabet should catch on to the think-ahead concept with ease. Ages 5-up. (Apr.)

Children's Literature

This book is quite different. It encourages kids to stretch their minds and think about what today's object will become. For example, "A is for today's seed-tomorrow's APPLE." It will be fun for kids who know the alphabet and have a significant vocabulary. Young ones will either be confused or just won't get it.

School Library Journal

K-Gr 2This unusual alphabet book is really a different sort of concept book. In 26 double-page spreads, the letters of the alphabet are used to demonstrate where things come from. "A is for seed" is followed on the next page with "tomorrow's APPLE." "D is for puppytomorrow's DOG.'' Crews's wonderful watercolors clarify any concepts that might be confusing to young readers. All of the combinations are clever, well chosen, and well within youngsters' experience. However, it is the vivid illustrations that make this book special. Each two-page spread offers brightly colored, large and realistic depictions of the objects named. A fun and inventive offering for today's kids and tomorrow's visionaries.Linda Greengrass, Bank Street College Library, New York City

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