Ox, House, Stick: the History of our Alphabet

OX, HOUSE, STICK: THE HISTORY OF OUR ALPHABET; Don Robb and Anne Smith; Watertown, MA: Charlesbridge, 2007; 47pp. Juvenile non-fiction.
Colorful pictures and a surprisingly comprehensive text make this history of the alphabet one of the best ever for young people. Beginning with why written language was invented--to be able to keep a record, and to be able to speak to people far away in time or place--Robb traces the development of the alphabet from pictograms through hieroglyphics to Sumerian, Phoenician, and Roman incarnations to our current alphabet. The text is remarkably detailed, given the brightly colored picture book format of the book, and deserves careful and probably repeated readings. A terrific introduction to language.

Gimme Cracked Corn and I Will Share

GIMME CRACKED CORN & I WILL SHARE; Kevin O'Malley; Picture Book; New York: Walker & Company, 2007; unpaged.

Corn and chickens are a near-fatal combination in this groaner of a picture book where O'Malley shamelessly struts out nearly every elementary school joke about our feathered friends known to man and long-suffering Mom. O'Malley's illustrations are cheerily Gothic, if there is such a thing, and kids in the know should find this volume a laugh and a half.

There Was an Old Lady Who Swallowed Fly Guy

THERE WAS AN OLD LADY WHO SWALLOWED FLY GUY; Tedd Arnold; Picture Book; New York: Scholastic, 2007; 30 pgs.

Anyone familiar with Tedd Arnold's Hi! Fly Guy! series should delight in his latest offering, There was an Old Lady who Swallowed Fly Guy. The old lady is Buzz's grandmother who accidentally inhales Fly Guy when Buzz and his pet come to visit. Fly Guy doesn't much like the contents of Grandma's stomach so he tries to fly back out her mouth, only to be overwhelmed by the spider, dog, cat, cow, etc., that Grandma is frantically swallowing to take care of Fly Guy. Arnold's unique perspective on this age-old and much-parodied favorite is a pure delight.

The Chaos Code

THE CHAOS CODE; Justin Richards; London: Bloomsbury, 2007; juvenile fiction 9781599901244; $17.95
This is one of those books you keep reading in the hope that it will get better, because Mr. Richards other books have been good, but alas, it plugs along 'til the end. It is hard to imagine that a book about the Lost Continent of Atlantis and a power-mad genius who hopes to use computer animated golems and avatars to take control of the earth could be boring, but there it is. However, this may be just the sort of book that kids will like because they won't notice the stolid prose. Have them give it a try at the public library before you decide to buy it. A secondary purchase at best.

Little Red Riding Hood

LITTLE RED RIDING HOOD, retold and illustrated by Jerry Pinkney; New York: Little, Brown, and Co., 2007; 16.95; ISBN 0316013552 or 9780316031550; Picture Book

With Jerry Pinkney at the drawing board, one might imagine how beautiful this new version of Little Red Riding Hood is. In addition, it has several standout features: Pinkney retells the original story, in which the wolf eats Grandma and Little Red Riding Hood, and a passing woodsman kills the wolf with an ax and lets them out; Little Red Riding Hood is black; and the story takes place in the winter. The brilliant red of the cloak is striking against a backdrop of snow, evergreens, and pale birches. Recommended purchase for all libraries. It is a crime against art and society that Jerry Pinkney has never won a Caldecott award (editorial remark).