Alphabet Mystery

Title:  Alphabet Mystery

Author: Audrey Wood

Illustrator:  Bruce Wood

Publishing Company: Scholastic

Copyright:  2003

# Of Pages:  28

Genre:  Fiction

          I chose this book because I was already familiar with it.  I love books by Audrey Wood.  My favorites by her are The Napping House, The Little Mouse, The Red Ripe Strawberry, and The Big Hungry Bear, and King Bidgood's in the Bathtub.  This is the story that uses the letters in the alphabet to tell about how the letter x felt left out because that letter is hardly ever used.  Little letter x becomes upset and runs away.  All the letters in the alphabet go on an adventure to find little x.  The Alphabet finds little x at the castle of the mysterious Master, Capital M.  In the end little x ends up saving all the letters when the master M threatens to turn all of them into alphabet soup.  The letters make it back home just in time to eat cake with mom.  At the bottom of the cake it had “x,x,x” to stand for kisses.  Little x was important after all. 

          The art for this book were created digitally using 3-D modeling software.  The artwork uses bright, primary colors.  The pictures are bright and bold. 

          This is a book that is geared to a younger audience around ages 3-7.  This is a great book to use to help children identify and learn the alphabet.  The book also addresses both capital and lowercase letters.  This book would also be good to teach about acceptance.  Little x did not feel like he fit in.  I would use this book to share that each person is special and each person has a purpose. 

Jubal's Wish

Title:  Jubal’s Wish

Author: Audrey Wood

Illustrator:  Don Wood

Publishing Company: Scholastic

Copyright:  2000

# of Pages: 29

Genre:  Fiction

I chose this book because some of my favorite books for children are written and illustrated by Don and Audrey Wood. This story about a very happy frog named Jubal.  He was about as happy as happy can be.  Jubal comes upon Gerdy Toad and the toad was just grumpy because she had so many kids to take care of.  Then He comes to Dalbert Lizard and he was just too discouraged to join Jubal.  Jubal goes on about his day and enjoying the beautiful day.   Jubal goes to sit under a flower and a wizard in the sky appears and offers to grant Jubal’s wish.  He wishes Gerdy was not so busy taking care of her kids and Dalbert would find an adventure.  Just when Jubal thinks that his wishes would not come true, he is carried off in a storm.  When everything looked the worst for Jubal, along comes Gerdy and Dalbert to rescue him.

          The illustrations in this book are done using computer digital programs.  The art work is very vivid.  The pictures are whimsical and mystical.  There is a use of bright colors.  The colors are very rich and the use of color is bold.  The story is placed among vibrant pictures of flowers.

This book would be appropriate for ages 3 to 7.  This a good book to add to a unit about amphibians and reptiles.  This would also be good to use in a lesson about character education.   A topic that could be shared with this book is about having patience.  This book could also be used in a Nursery rhyme and fairy tale unit.  This is very similar to a fairy tale.  This book has not won any awards or honors.