I really enjoyed this book. If we don't get hung up thinking of it as a traditional alphabet "A is for Apple" sort of book, it can be Very playful. I am thinking of trying this with 1. ESL adults and 2. 2nd-4th grade children, but doing it with manipulatives... magnetic or die-cut letters. I also see the felt story board potential, but I personally would not use it with preschoolers, feeling it is not developmentally appropriate. I am wondering if it would pair well weith an anagrams or other game where you reshuffle letters and form new words. Hmm... getting some creative ideas here. A delightful new approach to the alphabet book, this picture book goes through the alphabet and offers words where you take away a letter and get a new word. So, for example, for letter A, “beast” becomes “best” when you take the A out. The concept is a simple one, but handled superbly throughout so that it never becomes repetitive or dull. Instead there is a wonderful humor that pervades the entire book. Look forward to the end of the alphabet where the simple premise of the book becomes much trickier to pull off, and of course the Z is not to be missed. This is the first book by this French author/illustrator team that was not translated from French. This book with its word play was written in English and offers art and text that is entirely original. Still, the book has that certain French flair to it that marks their collaborative work. Escoffier’s word play makes it all look so easy, but young readers will quickly learn that it is not as they try to come up with their own, particularly certain letters.Di Giacomo’s art is a large part of the European feel of this book. Her illustrations here tell a story on the page, as if the reader has interrupted a scene in motion by opening the book to that page. The animals seem to be relating to one another more than to the reader, just waiting for them to go away so that they can begin speaking again.Clever and deceptively simple, this is a great alphabet book for youngsters who have been read too many as well as elementary children who enjoy word play. Appropriate for ages 4-6.
What do You think about Take Away The A (2014)?
This is a very creative alphabet book. The illustrations were wonderful and creative.
—tone
F and Z were the only two letters that really bothered me.
—Lavender
