Synopses & Reviews
In The Alphabet from Z to A (With Much Confusion on the Way), Judith Viorst once again applies her clear-sighted wit to a subject of universal appeal, turning the traditional alphabet book on its head by going through the alphabet backwards. Viorst's lively verse irreverently demonstrates that the spellings and sounds of our language are often so maddeningly inconsistent -- "blue" and "blew," "chute" and "shoe" -- that, as her exasperated narrator complains, "It could drive you berserk." Aimed at children who already have some facility with language (and at anyone else who likes to play with words), The Alphabet from Z to A is an entertaining and thought-provoking romp through the quirks and quagmires of the English language. Richard Hull's exquisite drawings enrich the text and offer a playful challenge.
Synopsis
In The Alphabet from Z to A (With Much Confusion on the Way), Judith Viorst once again applies her clear-sighted wit to a subject of universal appeal, turning the traditional alphabet book on its head by going through the alphabet backwards. Viorst's lively verse irreverently demonstrates that the spellings and sounds of our language are often so maddeningly inconsistent -- "blue" and "blew," "chute" and "shoe" -- that, as her exasperated narrator complains, "It could drive you berserk." Aimed at children who already have some facility with language (and at anyone else who likes to play with words), The Alphabet from Z to A is an entertaining and thought-provoking romp through the quirks and quagmires of the English language. Richard Hull's exquisite drawings enrich the text and offer a playful challenge.
About the Author
Judith Viorst was born and brought up in New Jersey, graduated from Rutgers University, moved to Greenwich Village, and has lived in Washington, DC, since 1960, when she married Milton Viorst, a political writer. They have three sons and seven grandchildren. A 1981 graduate of the Washington Psychoanalytic Institute, Viorst writes in many different areas: science books; children’s picture books—including the beloved Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day, which was made into a box-office favorite movie of the same name; adult fiction and nonfiction; poetry for children and adults; and musicals.