Book picks similar to
Alphabet City by Stephen T. Johnson


picture-books
caldecott
alphabet
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On Market Street


Arnold Lobel - 1981
    Inspired by seventeenth-century French trade engravings, Anita Lobel's brilliant paintings of the shopkeepers on Market Street—each composed of his or her wares—will provide blissful hours for all who join the Lobels on an unforgettable shopping spree. "In a delightful and unusual book, a boy trots down Market Street buying presents for a friend, each one starting with a letter of the alphabet. Every letter is illustrated by a figure ingeniously composed of, for instance, apples or wigs or quilts. The notion is original, and the sum total enjoyable and unique."—The Horn BookA Caldecott Honor Book, a New York Times Best Illustrated book, an ALA Notable Book, and a Boston Globe/Horn Book Honor Book for IllustrationSupports the Common Core State Standards

The Graphic Alphabet


David Pelletier - 1996
    Discover a creative view of the alphabet, in this Caldecott Honor-winning picture book.A graphical representation of the alphabet gives a new view of the letters, from the A that crumbles as an avalanche approaches to the D that glows with the light of the devil.

Time Flies


Eric Rohmann - 1994
    an entirely absorbing narrative made all the more rich by its wordlessness." Kirkus Reviews hailed it as "a splendid debut."

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.

Free Fall


David Wiesner - 1991
    And you can come along.

Green


Laura Vaccaro Seeger - 2012
    In her newest book, Caldecott and Geisel Honor Book author Laura Vaccaro Seeger fashions an homage to a single color and, in doing so, creates a book that will delight and, quite possibly astonish you. Green is a Kirkus Reviews Best Children's Book of 2012

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.

The Red Book


Barbara Lehman - 2004
    A magical red book without any words. When you turn the pages you’ll experience a new kind of adventure through the power of story.Winning a Caldecott Honor for its illustrations of rare detail and surprise, The Red Book crosses oceans and continents to deliver one girl into a new world of possibility, where a friend she’s never met is waiting. And as with the best of books, at the conclusion of the story, the journey is not over.

In the Small, Small Pond


Denise Fleming - 1993
    A child explores the wonders of the natural world in this rhyming, beautiful bright colored picture storybook about the lives of small animals and insects living around a freshwater pond.

Flora and the Flamingo


Molly Idle - 2013
    With a twist, a turn, and even a flop, these unlikely friends learn at last how to dance together in perfect harmony. Full of humor and heart, this stunning performance (and splashy ending!) will have readers clapping for more!For more feathery fun, pick up Flora and the Penguin, Flora and the Peacocks, Flora and Friends Matching Game or, coming soon, Flora and the Chicks.

The Paperboy


Dav Pilkey - 1996
    Human and canine both struggle to rouse themselves, eat breakfast from bowls, and have an intimate knowledge of their route. Pilkey paints their shared experiences with a graceful economy of language.

Truck


Donald Crews - 1980
    Truck was named a Caldecott Honor Book by the American Library Association and was also named an ALA Notable Book for Children. It is an ideal book to share with preschoolers, both at home and in the classroom—especially those who love books about transportation!In this wordless picture book, a large, bright red trailer truck packed with tricycles moves through pages of fog, truck stops, and crowded highways. "Beautifully executed and appealing."—School Library JournalSupports the Common Core State Standards

Noah's Ark


Peter Spier - 1977
    Peter Spier uses his own translation of a seventeenth-century Dutch poem about this most famous menagerie.

The Grey Lady and the Strawberry Snatcher


Molly Bang - 1980
    But so does the Strawberry Snatcher, and unfortunately for the Grey Lady he is not far away and getting closer all the time. Past flower shops and bakeries he stalks her, silently, steadily, biding his time. He pursues her by foot along haunting red-brick paths, and then by skateboard into the mysterious depths of a swamp both beautiful and terrifying.Closer and closer he gets, and yet the Grey Lady escapes him, in fantastic and marvelously improbable ways, until, in the heart of the forest the Strawberry Snatcher discovers instead -- blackberries!In this wordless allegory, author-illustrator Molly Bang has created a visual feast full of surprise and wonder. Her lively tale skillfully blends fantasy, suspense, and humor, and the magnificent illustrations are a treat for young and old alike.

More More More Said the Baby


Vera B. Williams - 1990
    Williams' Caldecott Honor Book cry out for more more more! The stars of three little love stories - toddlers with nicknames like "Little Pumpkin" - run giggling until they are scooped up by adoring adults to be swung around, kissed, and finally tucked into bed. Quirky watercolor drawings and colorful text feature multiethnic families, and young readers will rejoice in seeing the center of all the attention: the wiggly, chubby, irresistible toddlers.