Annie Appleford

So, I will admit right now that I will automatically have a bias towards loving this book because I am a Michigan boy - born and raised. I feel like with every page of this book I can stop and musing or converse for hours about the significance of each component of this alphabet. Considering this as children's literature, it would be a wonderful book to explore with dialogue between young peers who live in Michigan. The same could be true for any alphabet book that involves a state or other place of origin/region.… (altro)

This nonfiction picture book presents information about the state of Michigan in a manner that the youngest readers can understand. It does not have characters, but instead presents 26 different Michigan "characters" through the 26 letters of the alphabet. It also does not have a plot, but instead moves across Michigan's landscape and history through varied "characters"; the plot could be construed as a history of Michigan, though. It is set in the state of Michigan, and its theme is the living history of Michigan through rhymes and informational facts. It is in the style of an ABC book, with each page containing its own letter - and some letters taking up 2 pages. The illustrations appear to be painted. The cultural markers are on every page - the entire book is about the cultural markers of the state of Michigan! In a Michigan elementary school - a predominantly White elementary school - I would include this book. However, it doesn't include much diversity, or represent other ethnic groups besides the WASP culture.… (altro)