Gr 4-7-"Ox," "house," and "stick" stood for A, B, and C in the first alphabet. In this nicely illustrated overview, Robb traces the history of each letter from its origin to its modern appearance in the Roman alphabet. He explains the birth of writing in pictogram form and the eventual transition to written symbols that stand for sounds. With complementary explanation, each letter is displayed in its Sinaitic, Phoenician, early Greek, classical Greek, and Roman incarnations. The author details the relationships among different letters and summarizes such topics as alphabetical order, pronunciation differences around the world, the Greek boustrophedon style, Roman spacing conventions, the beginnings of punctuation, writing surfaces, font styles, and the invention of the printing press. A closing chart summarizes the presumed source of each letter with its date of first use and probable meaning. Robb is careful to note that linguistic research is still being conducted and that the information presented contains "both things that are fairly certain and things that are still under investigation." Smith's whimsical paintings are a fitting companion to Robb's lighthearted text. This quality work fills a significant gap in children's information literature. It should find a home in all collections.-Jayne Damron, Farmington Community Library, MI Copyright 2007 Reed Business Information.

Robb's picture-book survey offers a fascinating look at the Roman alphabet, from its ancient origins to today. The approach is concise but comprehensive. Opening pages explore how and why written language developed in the first place: "Spoken language doesn't let you keep a record of what was said, and it doesn't let you talk to people who are far away." Robb also covers how early civilizations moved from picture symbols to the concept of letters and the history of specific letters, with text insets addressing related topics, such as the first writing materials. The open layouts feature appealing, stylized graphics that ably reinforce the text, including a map that demonstrates the spread of written language around the Mediterranean. Best suited for kids who have a handle on language concepts such as consonants and vowels, this will find a home in both social studies and language-arts units. The appended resources include books for both children and adults. Pair this with Tiphaine Samoyault's Alphabetical Order (1998).

What could be simpler than ABC? Lots: A surprisingly complicated subject receives a treatment equally playful and explanatory, allowing readers to appreciate the journey our English alphabet has traveled from its inception in Egypt some 4,000 years ago. From A to Z, each letter is traced from the Sinai to Phoenicia, Greece and Rome, morphing from near pictograms to the abstract symbols we know today. The design incorporates representational illustrations, icons and sidebars to break this labyrinthine process down, allowing readers to see how a picture of an ox ( aleph ) was variously turned, flattened and extended to become an "A." Robb's narrative properly allows room for scholarly disagreement about letter development—does "D" come from a picture of a Phoenician door? Or is it a fish head?—without becoming too bogged down in detail; it also includes plenty of sidebars of relevant information to leaven what could be a very dry discussion with useful, fun facts. A brief discussion of other writing systems, a time line and additional resources for both kids and adults round out this pleasingly informative offering. (Nonfiction. 8-12)