Kipper's A to Z: An Alphabet Adventure

by Mick Inkpen, Mick Inkpen (Illustrator)

Overview

Kipper and Arnold are on an alphabet adventure! What can they find for each letter? They find ladybugs for L. And toys for T. But what begins with X? That's a hard one.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780152054410
Publisher:	HarperCollins
Publication date:	08/01/2005
Series:	Kipper
Edition description:	First Edition
Pages:	64
Sales rank:	229,168
Product dimensions:	9.56(w) x 10.62(h) x 0.23(d)
Lexile:	AD500L (what's this?)
Age Range:	4 - 7 Years

About the Author

MICK INKPEN's books starring Kipper have sold millions of copies worldwide and have been translated into more than twenty languages. His more recent titles include Kipper's A to Z, a Publishers Weekly Best Book of the Year and an ABA's Pick of the Lists, and Kipper and Roly. Mr. Inkpen lives in Suffolk, England.

MICK INKPEN's books starring Kipper have sold millions of copies worldwide and have been translated into more than twenty languages. His more recent titles include Kipper's A to Z, a Publishers Weekly Best Book of the Year and an ABA's Pick of the Lists, and Kipper and Roly. Mr. Inkpen lives in Suffolk, England.

Editorial Reviews

"A big, playful, alphabet story that is just the ticket for turning pre-readers into new readers . . . Just about the cutest puppy in a favorite series achieves a stellar new success."—Kirkus Reviews (starred review)

"An appealing concept book with childlike humor, this will be wonderful for small-group or one-on-one sharing."—School Library Journal (starred review)

"Adorable, breezy, clever, this is the alphabet book of choice."—Publishers Weekly (starred review)
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From the Publisher

Kipper and his pal Arnold are on an alphabet hunt! What can they find to represent each letter? From "Aa is for ant" to "Zz is for Zebra," the duo wander along and encounter a array of adorable critters. Kids love Kipper -- and his clever dialogue and delightful discoveries will inspire lots of learning, as well as plenty of laughs.

barnesandnoble.com

For centuries, alphabet books have been the quintessential concept books - those volumes that teach basic educational skills to youngsters. It's a jam-packed genre, but Kipper's A to Z: An Alphabet Adventure, by Mick Inkpen, is a welcome addition because it's entertaining as well as instructional. Inkpen provides plenty of clear and appealing illustrations. Kipper, a sweet-faced little pup, is already a familiar character to many children. More than 5 million Kipper books are in print, and they've been translated into more than 20 languages.

Here, Kipper and his piglet friend Arnold set off through the pages collecting animals and items to represent each letter. It's a charming and humorous adventure, as the subtitle suggests. They start with "a is for ant," but it won't stay in the "b for box," so eventually we get "e for empty." Those kinds of connections make this a fun and satisfying book.
— The Christian Science Monitor

Karen Carden

Creepy crawly critters and recurring jokes feature in this sprightly ABC tale. In a teaser, ahead of the title page, the eponymous pooch tells a zebra, "We won't need you till much, much later." Inkpen thus signals his plans to eschew a formulaic abecedarian approach and introduces the letters in inventive ways, giving his volume a rollicking spontaneity and a story line. In some cases, the author subtly slips the spotlighted letter into the narrative, which follows Kipper and his pig pal, Arnold, as they encounter bugs, animals and other objects, most of which Arnold places in a box (e.g., "He opened his box and put the interesting insect inside"). Other whimsical touches include the reemergence of creatures introduced on previous pages; inventive use of type (as on the spread introducing h, when the text forms an arc shaped around a hill); the intermittent appearance of the earnest zebra, who wants to know if it's his turn yet (to which Kipper replies, "No, not now!... You don't begin with N"); and one quite waggish omission: "Kipper couldn't think of anything beginning with K. Can you think of anything?" Yet likely the strongest selling point here is Inkpen's signature charming, childlike art, which offers endearing images of these expressive young animal characters at every turn. Adorable, breezy, clever, this is the alphabet book of choice. Ages 3-7. (Mar.) Copyright 2001 Cahners Business Information.

Publishers Weekly - Publisher's Weekly

PreS-Gr 2-Inkpen's familiar dog and his friends Arnold (a pig) and a zebra take children on an alphabet adventure, searching for things that begin with each letter. Large, black upper- and lowercase letters decorate each page as the story uses words that begin with that letter to describe the action. After a small picture before the copyright page of Kipper telling the zebra, "We won't need you till much, much later," the book begins: "This is Kipper's little friend, Arnold. Arnold has found an ant. Aa is for ant. And Arnold." On the next page, Arnold has a box, in which he tries to put the ant (and various other small insects the friends encounter as they proceed through the alphabet), and both follow the buzzing bumblebee to the next page, etc. The book's excellent format includes plenty of white space, Inkpen's colorful and uncluttered cartoon illustrations, and large type. The text includes several tricks to spur a child's interest-the ant appears and disappears throughout the book; the "K" word is left to readers to guess when Kipper and Arnold can't think of one; the zebra keeps popping up to see if it's his turn. An appealing concept book with childlike humor, this will be wonderful for small-group or one-on-one sharing.-Judith Constantinides, formerly at East Baton Rouge Parish Main Library, LA Copyright 2001 Cahners Business Information.

School Library Journal

Canine Kipper squires his piglet friend, Arnold, from "Aa is for ant" to "Zz is for Zebra" in a big, playful, alphabet story that is just the ticket for turning pre-readers into new readers. Inkpen adds a bit extra to most of the literary encounters: "Cc" is not just for caterpillar, but Crawly caterpillar; "Nn is for No, not now" (said to the zebra); and "Xx" for Xugglybug, an "interesting insect" picked up at "Ii." The best moment is when the audience is invited to help Kipper out when his mind goes blank at "Kk." Young children will also painlessly discover an array of additional concepts as, for instance, Kipper and Arnold go up and down a hill, discover that an elephant is too big to fit into Arnold's collecting box, or learn that the first letter of "gnat" is silent. Acres of white space surround the large-type text and simply drawn figures without overwhelming them, making this equally suitable for sharing with one child or a group. Just about the cutest puppy in a favorite series achieves a stellar new success. (Picture book. 3-5)

Kirkus Reviews