Horn Book (Fri Apr 01 00:00:00 CST 2005)

"J is for Judicial branch-- / For justice, judge, and jury. / Those who do not break the law / never have to worry." An alphabetical format organizes information from Amendment to Zeitgeist. The prose information presented in sidebars is more far sophisticated than the forced rhymes. Cartoon illustrations echo newspaper editorial style, and a specific appendix encourages participation in government.

Publishers Weekly (Fri Oct 06 00:00:00 CDT 2023)

With the election nearing, the timely D Is for Democracy: A Citizen's Alphabet by Elissa Grodin (N Is for Nutmeg), illus. by Victor Juhasz, spells out American history letter by letter. Pairing short rhymes with detailed sidebars, pages include """"F is for the Founding Fathers"""" (""""who went to a convention./ The U.S. Constitution/ was their wonderful invention"""") with brief bios on Jefferson, Franklin and others. (Aug.) .

School Library Journal

Gr 3-6-Clever, colorful cartoon illustrations and caricatures help make this book attractive and fun. Beginning with "A is for Amendment," a snappy four-line verse is presented for each letter of the alphabet. Two or three paragraphs, written in small but legible print, appear on colored vertical strips that cover about one-third of each page. The text offers a great deal of information about the history of democracy, the development and processes of American government, and the people who have contributed to our country. Topics range from "Congress" to "Elections" to "Religious freedom" to "Taxes." The final entry is "Zeitgeist," which Grodin describes as "-the feeling or spirit of a certain period of time." After highlighting the remarkable spirits of figures such as Abigail Adams and Deborah Sampson, the author asks, "Who or what will shape the Zeitgeist of your generation?" This final spread has a picture of famous American activists as well as modern young people, all pointing at readers, with the caption, "We want you to get involved" printed in a style reminiscent of the wartime Uncle Sam posters. The concluding pages describe projects and activities that enhance kids' awareness of current events and encourage their participation in social change. A charming and informative volume.-Lynda Ritterman, Atco Elementary School, Waterford, NJ Copyright 2004 Reed Business Information.

ALA Booklist (Sat Jan 01 00:00:00 CST 2005)

The organizing device for this book on the U.S and its government is the alphabet, with each letter introducing a person, place, thing, or concept. From Amendment and Bill of Rights to You and me and Zeitgeist, each letter inspires a rhymed couplet about the topic, though some are a bit arcane: X marks the spot / for a meeting one fall / of the very first Congress / in Philadelphia's Carpenter's Hall. The accompanying text includes two or three informative paragraphs written in polysyllabic words at a much higher reading level than the verse. The book's intended audience is a puzzle, as readers old enough to understand the text may well be put off by the alphabet theme and the verse. However, the broad appeal of Juhasz's colorful artwork is clear. Sure to please anyone from young children to adults, the drawings have an informal, accessible look bolstered by abundant energy, evident skill in caricature, and a sure sense of composition. For larger collections.