Alphabet books come in every make and model. They range from pretty picture books that are so pristine they seem intended more for the parent than the kids to the basic workbook. Sarah Midda’s How to Build an A takes learning your letters out of just rote memorization and puts it squarely in the fun category. It teaches kids that learning can be fun, and, as the wise G.I. Joe cartoon character may have said, that is half the battle.
On each page, the hardcover book has a sweet illustration of a letter and a word that starts with that letter. It’s your standard B is for Bird format. But the real fun comes in the shape of white foam cut-outs tucked in a little mesh bag. It is these rectangles, semi-circles, and dots that will let your youngun learn the ropes of letter construction. With a simple hands-on approach little ones learn that letters aren’t just pictures and can begin the basis of phonemic awareness and, of course, writing.
My kiddo was thrilled to play with the copy of the book I was sent for review. He caught on to the concept immediately and started building letters according to the simple diagrams. He would then proudly display his mad building skills and, in fact, insisted I take a photo and send it to daddy. Building letters is clearly a building block to bigger and better learning. I’m thinking this will inspire an interest in either typography or architecture. A mom can dream, right?
How to Build an A is available on Amazon for $12.21:
