Letters to Live By: An Alphabet Book with Intention

by Lisa Frenkel Riddiough, Asa Gilland (Illustrator)

Overview

A social-emotional concept picture book that teaches readers the power of setting intentions and embracing mindfulness in our everyday.

Appreciate art, become brave, and choose compassion. Pairing big ideas like generosity, respect, and joy with the letters of the alphabet, Letters to Live By is a beautiful picture book that encourages children to make the most of each day and leave their mark on the world.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780762473083
Publisher:	Running Press Book Publishers
Publication date:	01/11/2022
Pages:	32
Sales rank:	219,794
Product dimensions:	8.40(w) x 10.30(h) x 0.60(d)
Age Range:	4 - 8 Years

About the Author

Lisa Frenkel Riddiough is a graduate of Hamline University's MFAC program and lives in Northern California. She is a former sales executive, an avid squirrel watcher, and a frequent baker of chocolate pound cake.





Åsa Gilland is a Swedish illustrator who lives in Indonesia with her husband, two boys, and cats in a little house beneath a gigantic bougainvillea tree. She studied interior design and spent many years as a graphic designer before deciding to follow her passion for illustrating children's books.

Editorial Reviews

"Creative, humorous, and thought-provoking, this is a vocabulary-rich ABC book meant to be discussed one-on-one and in groups. Recommended, especially for elementary school libraries."—School Library Journal, starred review

“Succinct, yet masterfully written with playful and intriguing illustrations. A must for every classroom and household.”—Kerry S. Teeple, The Toledo Blade

“This thoughtful, upbeat book is philosophical and yet very accessible for younger kids.”—Kendal Rautzhan, Books to Borrow . . . Books to Buy column

From the Publisher

★ 02/01/2022

K-Gr 2—While many abecedaries are pitched at the youngest audiences, this one aims higher, including vocabulary and concepts that could launch discussions in early grade school classes or at home. Each letter of the alphabet gets its own page, which includes the letter itself, prettily decorated; a two-word alliterative phrase; and a full-page illustration of the concept. For example, "Notice Neglect" shows a child watering a wilting potted plant. The page design is consistent, with the letter itself appearing in the top half of the page, and the phrase at the bottom; the dominant colors are a pleasing warm pink and cool teal. Most figures are children, but there are some adults; different races, genders, religions, and abilities are represented. The final spread provides a visual summary, and closes with a question: "Which letters will you live by?" VERDICT Creative, humorous, and thought-provoking, this is a vocabulary-rich ABC book meant to be discussed one-on-one and in groups. Recommended, especially for elementary school libraries.—Jenny Arch

School Library Journal

2021-12-16
Riddiough returns to the alphabet book’s didactic roots with this abecedarian guide on intentional living.

As the text remarks, we all “have the power to make our world a better, happier place.” Each lettered page introduces a different ethical principle in the form of a pithy alliterative imperative: “APPRECIATE ART”; “BECOME BRAVE”; “CHOOSE COMPASSION”; and so forth. The artwork portrays children engaged in simple acts and activities that are practical, relatable examples of each principle or ideal; for example, children can “INVITE IMAGINATION” by cloud-gazing on a sunny day, “VALUE VOLUNTEERING” by helping to clean up a park, and “JOIN FOR JUSTICE” by attending a street protest. A few of these visual object lessons are a bit vague or confusing; for instance, the text advises young readers to “RESIST RUMORS,” but the children pictured in the artwork are actually spreading them. Gilland’s digital illustrations, rendered using a palette dominated by pink and green, are serviceable, if unexciting. They are also inclusive, depicting kids with a variety of skin tones and hair textures, a Black girl wearing a hijab, a White girl using a wheelchair, interracial parents, and same-sex parents. The book ends by telling kids to “Z’S THE DAY,” but this pun may likely fly over the heads of the target audience.

Overt moral instruction for the preschool set may attract occasional interest, but don’t expect kids to read this book on repeat. (Picture book. 2-4)

Kirkus Reviews