Book picks similar to
R Is for Rhyme: A Poetry Alphabet by Judy Young


poetry
picture-books
picture-book
children-s-literature

The Z Was Zapped


Chris Van Allsburg - 1987
    A dramatic black-and-white presentation of the alphabet in which the two-time Caldecott Medalist depicts a mysterious transformation of each letter.

P is for Pterodactyl: The Worst Alphabet Book Ever


Raj Haldar - 2018
    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!

LMNO Peas


Keith Baker - 2010
    Featuring a range of zippy characters from Acrobat Peas to Zoologist Peas, this picture book highlights a variety of interests, hobbies, and careers; each one themed to a letter of the alphabet and gives a wonderful sense of the colorful world we live in.

Animalia


Graeme Base - 1986
    To celebrate thirty years, Abrams is proud to publish a special anniversary edition. Animalia’s incredible imaginary world intrigues all readers. Each page includes hidden objects and ideas: start with “A is for An Armoured Armadillo Avoiding an Angry Alligator” and you’ll find aprons, ants, aces, Atom-brand anchovies, and much more. The rest of the alphabet is just as much fun!

Mirror Mirror: A Book of Reverso Poems


Marilyn Singer - 2010
    First, read the poems forward (how old-fashioned!), then reverse the lines and read again to give familiar tales, from Sleeping Beauty to that Charming Prince, a delicious new spin. Witty, irreverent, and warm, this gorgeously illustrated and utterly unique offering holds a mirror up to language and fairy tales, and renews the fun and magic of both.

Runny Babbit: A Billy Sook


Shel Silverstein - 2005
    From the legendary creator of Where the Sidewalk Ends, A Light in the Attic, Falling Up, and The Giving Tree comes an unforgettable new character in children's literature: Runny Babbit.Runny Babbit is Shel Silverstein's hilarious and New York Times-bestselling book of spoonerisms—words or phrases with letters or syllables swapped: bunny rabbit becomes Runny Babbit.Welcome to the world of Runny Babbit and his friends Toe Jurtle, Skertie Gunk, Rirty Dat, Dungry Hog, Snerry Jake, and many others who speak a topsy-turvy language all their own.So if you say, "Let's bead a rookThat's billy as can se,"You're talkin' Runny Babbit talk,Just like mim and he.And don't miss Runny Babbit Returns, the new book from Shel Silverstein!

Gone Wild: An Endangered Animal Alphabet


David McLimans - 2006
    This stampede of wild animals, from Chinese Alligator to Grevy's Zebra, are so rare, they're all endangered. David McLiman's bold and playful illustrations transform each letter into a work of art, graphically rendered with animal characteristics. Scales, horns, even insect wings transform the alphabet into animated life.Once you take this eye-opening safari, you'll never look at letters or animals with the same way again. A striking work of art and a zoological adventure, Gone Wild is sure to be loved by children and adults alike.

A is for Activist


Innosanto Nagara - 2012
    A is for Activist is an ABC board book for the next generation of progressives: Families that want their kids to grow up in a space that is unapologetic about activism, environmental justice, civil rights, LGBTQ rights, and so on.

Eating the Alphabet


Lois Ehlert - 1989
    Start eating your way through this alphabet book. Each turn of the page reveals a mouth-watering arrangement of foods: Indian corn, jalapeno, jicama, kumquat, kiwifruit and kohlrabi. Lois Ehlert's lively watercolors paired with bold easy-to-read type make for a highly appealing and accessible book for parents and children to devour. At the end of the book, Ehlert provides a detailed glossary that includes pronunciation, botanical information, the origin and history of the particular plant and occasional mythological references, with a small watercolor picture to remind the reader of what the plant looks like.

Creature ABC


Andrew Zuckerman - 2009
    From alligator to zebra, each featured animal boasts two striking studio portraits against a clean white background, offering a unique up-close view of the animal kingdom. Readers can flip to a helpful glossary in the back for extra information. From the sleek beauty of a smiling hippo to the powerful majesty of a roaring lion, this gorgeous new book is both a stunning work of art and a ferociously fun way for young animal-lovers to learn their ABCs.

The New Kid on the Block


Jack Prelutsky - 1984
    “The illustrations bring the frivolity to a fever pitch.”—School Library Journal.Open this book to any page to begin your exploration. Here are poems about things that you may never have thought about before. You'll be introduced to jellyfish stew, a bouncing mouse, a ridiculous dog, and a boneless chicken.You'll learn why you shouldn't argue with a shark, eat a dinosaur, or have an alligator for a pet. You'll meet the world's worst singer and the greatest video game player in history. You'll even find an invitation to a dragon's birthday party....This playful collection is a wonderful introduction to the pleasures of poetry and word play from a master of the genre, Jack Prelutsky.“It’s the author’s joyous sense of the absurd that propels the reader from page to page.”—Horn Book (starred review)

The Dangerous Alphabet


Neil Gaiman - 2008
    . .Two children, treasure map in hand, and their pet gazelle sneak past their father, out of their house, and into a world beneath the city, where monsters and pirates roam.Will they find the treasure? Will they make it out alive?The Dangerous Alphabet is a tale of adventure, piracy, danger, and heroism told in twenty-six alphabetical lines—although even the alphabet is not to be relied upon here. A delightfully dangerous journey from national bestselling author Neil Gaiman and the monstrously talented Gris Grimly, The Dangerous Alphabet is sure to captivate and chillyoung readers.

BookSpeak!: Poems about Books


Laura Purdie Salas - 2011
    Laura Purdie Salas, the acclaimed author of Stampede!, is back with another collection of wild and weird, wacky and winsome poems about all the magic to be found on a single bookshelf. In BookSpeak!, each poem gives voice to a group that seldom gets a voice . . . the books themselves! Characters plead for sequels, book jackets strut their stuff, and we get a sneak peek at the raucous parties in the aisles when all the lights go out at the bookstore!Illustrator Josée Bisaillon’s mixture of collage, drawings, and digital montage presents page after page of richly colored spreads filled with action and charm. Together, Salas and Bisaillon deliver a unique collection brimming with ideas as much about spines and dust jackets as they are about adventure and imagination.

Z is for Zeus: A Greek Mythology Alphabet


Helen L. Wilbur - 2008
    Human endeavors are often at odds with the whims and the will and the ways of the gods. Although they're up in Olympus without any cares, they just can't stop meddling in human affairs. Helen Wilbur, who wrote the lively M is for Meow: A Cat Alphabet, brings the same wit and wisdom to explaining Greek mythology. Colorful, entertaining artwork from Victor Juhasz, the illustrator behind D is for Democracy and R is for Rhyme, keeps pace with the lively subject matter.

E-mergency!


Tom Lichtenheld - 2011
    But who can take her place? The other letters have to make a decision ASAP. Z is too sleepy and Y asks way too many questions. Thankfully, O rolls in to try and save the day. Now E can rost up and got bottor . . . as long as ovorybody follows the rulos. Chock-full of verbal and visual puns, this zany book is sure to tickle both the brain and the funny bone.