Starred Review for Publishers Weekly (Thu Apr 28 00:00:00 CDT 2022)

Progressing through the alphabet in an unorthodox direction, Viorst's breezy roundup of words focuses on a number of the English language's curiosities and inconsistencies. Included are sound-alike letters (Q is for Queue, but not CUE'';J is for JEWEL but not GEM''); silent letters (T's for TURKEY, / But back in the dinosaur days lived a bird / Named--help!--PTERODACTYL''); and homophones (I is for I (But not EYE) / And for ISLE but not AISLE''). Refreshingly, Viorst's offers anything but a basic introduction to phonetics: ``P is for PHONE, PHILODENDRON, / and PHYSICAL fitness, / Which only counts half. / Wish we could spell the word PHITNESS, / But they won't permit it.'' Rather, her verse is a pleasing blend of playfulness and sophistication--qualities also present in Hull's lapidary art. Rendered in acrylics, his detailed, often fantastical pictures cleverly incorporate the items mentioned in Viorst's rhymes--as well as a devilish number of other objects that begin with the spotlighted letter (a list of these at book's end will let readers check their acumen). It all makes for good (and vocabulary-building) phun. Ages 7-10. (Mar.)

ALA Booklist (Tue Mar 01 00:00:00 CST 1994)

Never one to go about things in a humdrum fashion, Viorst offers an alphabet that proceeds from Z to A and points out how illogical the whole contraption is anyway. Try, X is for X-RAY and EXCELLENT. / Hold it right there! / What's the matter with me? / Excellent starts with an E, / Not an X. / It's confusing! or D is for DEW, DO, / DYE, DIE, DOE, DOUGH. / Isn't it awful? / C is for CEILING and CHUTE / But we aren't to use it / For SEAL or for SHOE. Occasionally, Viorst's tone is a trifle arch, but one thing setting this book apart from other alphabet books is that it has a voice. Each detailed, colorful illustration includes many elements whose names begin with the given letter, creating a hide-and-seek game, with the vocabulary-stretching answers at the end of the book. For the most part, kids will be charmed to see someone acknowledge the apparent idiocy of the language they're grappling with, particularly kids who are in the midst of the struggle. (Reviewed Mar. 1, 1994)

Horn Book (Fri Apr 01 00:00:00 CST 1994)

In breezy, freewheeling verses, the alphabet book carps on the orthographic inconsistencies of the English language. Each letter is decorated with forms and objects whose names begin with that letter. Guessing the names can be quite a challenge--the clever and amusing book is clearly for older children who are beginning to appreciate, and perhaps be disconcerted by, the vagaries of spelling.

Kirkus Reviews

The well-known humorist uses a reverse alphabet to explore, and rail about, the idiosyncracies of English (Y is for YEW and for YOU,/But it isn't for USING''), touching on the vagaries of homonyms and spelling, slipping in rhymes after teasing the ear by seeming to withhold them, and engaging in other wordplay (J is for JEWEL but not GEM./It cannot be for GENIUS,/But can be for JERK''). Meanwhile, in Hull's precisely rendered vignettes, silhouetted on clean white, curiosities with appropriate initials are amalgamated into surreal, jewel-like little compositions; though most of the items are well known, identifying some is a real challenge (a knight ``with kyphosis—a humpback''); still, all is revealed in a long concluding list. A handsome puzzle book that also enhances appreciation for our quirky mother tongue. (Picture book. 9-12)"

School Library Journal

Gr 2-5-An alphabet book for folks who already know their ABCs.'' Presented in reverse order, with observations and discussions about the oddities of the English language, this is an intriguing look at how words are spelled and pronounced. Viorst laments the fact thatW is for WHO but not HOOT,'' U is for UNICORN but not ONION,''J is for JEWEL but not GEM,'' and so on. Written in loose clever verse, the peculiarities of the sounds and sights of each of the 26 letters are presented. The illustrations are beautifully detailed acrylic paintings with many small objects beginning with that letter intertwined with the letter itself, much like a medieval manuscript. There is lots of white space around each letter, though the pictures are too small for large group use. Hull's colors and style are reminiscent of Graeme Base's in Animalia (Abrams, 1987), although not as opulent. Older chldren may find this helpful in a study of linguistics; it may even inspire them to find examples of their own. There is an author's note and a list of all the items to identify in each illustration. An additional curiosity for extensive alphabet collections.- Beth Tegart, Oneida City Schools, NY