FICTION

Zebra-Striped Whale Alphabet Book

by Shari Faden DONAHUE
illus. by Thalamus. 32p. Arimax, Inc. 2012. Tr $17.95. ISBN 978-0-9634-2876-9; pap. $7.95. ISBN 978-0-9634-2877-6. LC 2011913222.
COPY ISBN
K-Gr 3—This sequel to The Zebra-Striped Whale with the Polka Dot Tail (Arimax, 2001) is as dismal as its predecessor. Most of the rhymes for each letter are innocuous, while some ("Q is for quail quilting in jail") are rather peculiar and others ("L is for llama lounging in a pajama") are ungrammatical. On the book jacket, Donahue asserts that the rhymes are phonics based, but some ("I is for iguana in Tijuana") are suspect in this regard. The digital illustrations by Thalamus (the name Donahue and her husband use when they collaborate) are busy in the extreme and garishly colored. Each page has a zebra-striped border that serves to distract from, not enhance, the presentation.—Grace Oliff, Ann Blanche Smith School, Hillsdale, NJ
Reviewed by Grace Oliff , Jun 01, 2012

Be the first reader to comment.

Comment Policy:
  • Be respectful, and do not attack the author, people mentioned in the article, or other commenters. Take on the idea, not the messenger.
  • Don't use obscene, profane, or vulgar language.
  • Stay on point. Comments that stray from the topic at hand may be deleted.
  • Comments may be republished in print, online, or other forms of media.
  • If you see something objectionable, please let us know. Once a comment has been flagged, a staff member will investigate.

RELATED 

BOOKS

Zoomi and Zoe and the Sibling Situation
by Haydu, Corey Ann
BOOKS

Little Mouse Saves The Day (A First Comic for Brand-New Readers)
by Smith, Jeff
BOOKS

Earl & Worm #2: The Big Mess and Other Stories
by Pizzoli, Greg
BOOKS

Gertrude Gish on a Dish on a Fish: A Seuss Studios Book
by Hwang, Sarah
BOOKS

Sports Are Fun!
by Avant-garde, Zaila
BOOKS

Lissa Loves Bugs
by Blom, Tracy
More
ALREADY A SUBSCRIBER?

We are currently offering this content for free. Sign up now to activate your personal profile, where you can save articles for future viewing

ALREADY A SUBSCRIBER?