P Is for Pterodactyl: The Worst Alphabet Book Ever

by Raj Haldar, Maria Beddia (Illustrator), Chris Carpenter

Overview

A New York Times Bestseller!

A "raucous trip through the odd corners of our alphabet." —The New York Times

Let's get real—the English language is bizarre. A might be for apple, but it's also for aisle and aeons. Why does the word "gnat" start with a G but the word "knot" doesn't start with an N? It doesn't always make sense, but don't let these rule-breaking silent letters defeat you!

This whimsical, funky book from Raj Haldar (aka rapper Lushlife) turns the traditional idea of an alphabet book on its head, poking fun at the most mischievous words in the English language and demonstrating how to pronounce them. Fun and informative for word nerds of all ages!

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781492674313
Publisher:	Sourcebooks
Publication date:	11/13/2018
Edition description:	New Edition
Pages:	40
Sales rank:	37,066
Product dimensions:	8.60(w) x 11.10(h) x 0.50(d)
Age Range:	4 - 8 Years

About the Author

Raj Haldar is the author of the #1 New York Times Bestselling picture book, P is for Pterodactyl: The Worst Alphabet Book Ever. But, for close to a decade, he has been better known as Lushlife, the rapper, producer, and multi-instrumentalist. In that time, he's amassed a fervent global fanbase and released award-winning viral music videos that highlight his erudite lyrics. The Sunday New York Times describes his work as “an intoxicating mix of captivating rhymes with audacious, gorgeous production.” So it should come as no surprise that Haldar has made the leap into the world of children’s literature. His latest book entitled, This Book is Banned gives young readers a lighthearted entrypoint to begin understanding the dangers of book banning and censorship. His work has been featured by The Washington Post, Interview Magazine, VICE, Pitchfork, Village Voice, Mental Floss, BBC, SPIN and more!

Raj currently lives on the Upper West Side of Manhattan with his wife and two young daughters.

Raj Haldar social media, music, books + more!

Maria Beddia is a freelance illustrator, muralist, and textile designer based in Philadelphia.

Chris Carpenter is a software developer for a tech startup in New York.

Editorial Reviews

You can curse the English language for its insane spelling rules (or lack thereof), or you can delight in it, as this raucous trip through the odd corners of our alphabet does.

The New York Times Book Review - Maria Russo

"This atypical alphabet book humorously addresses "mischievous words" that ignore the rules of phonetics and spelling... Each letter's sample is illustrated with cartoony, full-color drawings followed by a comically absurd sentence highlighting other examples. "G is for Gnocchi. / The gnome yells, ‘Waiter! There's a bright white gnat nibbling on my gnocchi!' ...the concept will help new readers and new English language learners conquer some of the more peculiar aspects of our language." — Kirkus Reviews

"Explore the many quirks and anomalies of English spelling and pronunciation in an A-to-Z tribute to some of the most unconventional words in the lexicon. Learn why Y is not for "why" and U is not for "you," but V is for "five" and C is for "czar." With this book full of puns, alliteration, playful artwork, and plenty of entertaining observations, children of all ages will enjoy celebrating the exceptions to the rules." — Foreword Reviews, STARRED Review

"A raucous trip through the odd corners of our alphabet." — The New York Times

"Are you a logophile (someone who loves words)? If you are, this delightful picture book will be your new favorite alphabet book... In this book, ‘A is for Aisle’ and ‘H is for Heir.’ What? Below each letter and illustration is a sentence describing each word. "M is for Mnemonic. // But now Mr. M. can’t remember why." Isn’t this a delight for readers and writers of all ages? It’s my new favorite." — Imagination Soup

"A win for word nerd kids and pun-tastic dads everywhere." — The Dad

"The book spotlights words that have silent letters, or weird grammar rules, and invites you to ponder dangerous word traps and oddities. And you might learn something new along the way...While other lessons teach really important principles that, honestly, could change your life and maybe even help you find love." — Funny or Die

"P Is for Pterodactyl" is a word lover's delight and an almost mandatory read-aloud... Amid all the humor, wordplay, and silliness, there's solid, brain-teasing information about words and how they're spelled. It a delight from start to finish, especially for word lovers and their offspring." — Common Sense Media

From the Publisher

2018-08-27

This atypical alphabet book humorously addresses "mischievous words" that ignore the rules of phonetics and spelling.

Silent letters can be confusing when trying to sound out difficult words. The book's initial advice is to "just ignore that pesky first letter and sound out the rest of the word." Examples of these include "bdellium," "czar," and "Djibouti." The silent "n" in words such as "autumn" and "solemn" is also pointed out. Each letter's sample is illustrated with cartoony, full-color drawings followed by a comically absurd sentence highlighting other examples. "G is for Gnocchi. / The gnome yells, ‘Waiter! There's a bright white gnat nibbling on my gnocchi!' " A helpful glossary with pronunciation guide and a few additional factoids explains the thorny or strange words. Some of the letter/sound examples do stretch the theme and, while funny, may create some confusion. "L is not for Elle" talks about the "el train halfway to El Paso"; "R is not for Are" reviews the stereotypically British elision of R's in such words as "butterfly," "shark," or "lizard"; and "V is for Five" is about roman numerals ("How Roman-tic!"). The cartoons are populated by animals and humans who represent a variety of skin tones.

Though perhaps more playful than practical, the concept will help new readers and new English language learners conquer some of the more peculiar aspects of our language. (Picture book. 7-12)

Kirkus Reviews