The ABC Animal Orchestra

by Donald Saaf, Donald Saaf (Illustrator)

Overview

Aardvarks play accordions

Butterflies strum banjos

Chimpanzees crash cymbals

Preschoolers can learn their ABCs with the fresh, alliterative text and the charming illustrations of animal friends playing music with instruments from around the world.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780805090727
Publisher:	Henry Holt and Co. (BYR)
Publication date:	04/07/2015
Edition description:	First Edition
Pages:	40
Product dimensions:	8.20(w) x 11.10(h) x 0.40(d)
Age Range:	2 - 4 Years

About the Author

Donald Saaf has illustrated many highly acclaimed books for children, including Skinny Brown Dog, Pushkin Minds the Bundle, The Easter Bunny that Overslept, and Wee G. A graduate of the School of the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston, he lives in Vermont with his family.

Editorial Reviews

[Saaf's] happy menagerie rocks out in the wild juxtapositions only the alphabet can provide…

The New York Times Book Review - Maria Russo

04/06/2015
Meadow-dwelling animals bring the noise in a raucous alphabet book that pairs them with alliterative musical instruments. For each letter, Saaf introduces multiple words, generating lively, whimsical scenes: “O is for owl playing his oboe. It’s also for octopus and organ.” On a spread for the letters L and M, a spiky-haired lion and a mouse scream at each other (the mouse has a megaphone), while a mermaid plays a mandolin in a nearby lake. Blending painted and collaged elements, Saaf’s images have a welcoming, folk-art vibe. Readers will practically hear the joyful noise as they spot the playful details in each spread, from smiling petunias that rest in a pot atop a piano to a grandmotherly elephant rocking out on her electric guitar. Ages 2–4. (Apr.)

Publishers Weekly

. . . its goal is to introduce animal friends playing instruments from around the world.” —School Library Journal

“Preschoolers may not know all of the creatures, but they will have fun pointing out what's happening and connecting letters with them.” —Kirkus Reviews

“Blending painted and collaged elements, Saaf's images have a welcoming, folk-art vibe. Readers will practically hear the joyful noise as they spot the playful details in each spread” —Publishers Weekly

“A tasty treat for reading aloud that should get a rave reception.” —Kirkus Reviews on Skinny Brown Dog

“A well-crafted picture book that children will appreciate.” —School Library Journal on Skinny Brown Dog

“Irresistible canine charms, and Saaf's pictures, in equal parts clever and sweet (but never saccharine) . . . will deservedly earn children's appreciation here.” —Booklist on Skinny Brown Dog

From the Publisher

Preschoolers will love learning the alphabet with these music loving animal friends. This story takes readers through the alphabet by introducing animals from an orchestra, all playing different instruments. The book not only introduces children to the names of animals and instruments from around the world with words and pictures, but there is also a seek-and-find element, because the lines of the story offer other alphabet words to find in the busy, dreamlike illustrations. The fun, large, and colorful font is appealing to small eyes through and makes it easy for small children to follow along. The ABC Animal Orchestra could also be used to teach young students about using series commas or adding -ing verbs to their writing. Using a combination of mediums, Saaf has created illustrations that are both whimsical and delightful. The end pages contain an adorable display of animals shaped as the letters of the alphabet. Readers will enjoy this creative contribution to the alphabet book category. Reviewer: Racheal Derrick; Ages 3 mo. to 4.

Children's Literature - Racheal Derrick

02/01/2015
PreS-K—According to the book's flap copy, its goal is to introduce animal friends playing instruments from around the world. Indeed, readers move through the alphabet in full spreads with an animal represented for each letter. At first each one is paired with an instrument, along with a few alliterative words that are also illustrated, adding a seek-and-find element to the book. The aardvark plays the accordion, and the dog plays the drum. But come to the "H," and things start to fall apart, with the hedgehog "Holding her ears," and "Intermission" and "Ice cream" for the "Iguana and Ibex." If you allow that a yodel and a whistle are instruments, there are still letters with no instrument at all. Clumsy folk art-style pen, pencil, and watercolor illustrations combine with inexpert collage elements for an overall disappointing experience. The alphabet concept book category is a crowded one, and any new entry had better be special. VERDICT Saaf's mixed-media offering doesn't have the necessary narrative hook or the visual appeal to set it apart from its competition.—Lisa Lehmuller, East Providence School District, RI

School Library Journal

2014-12-10
The title says it all—kind of. Twenty-six different animal characters each play an instrument; they are introduced one by one, with the final double-page spread bringing the whole orchestra together. A banner runs across the bottoms of the pages with three lines that name each creature and cite the action of the scene in both upper and lower cases. "N is for NEWTS making lots of NOISE! It's also for nightingale and nest." In the accompanying illustration, five gaily dressed newts sing, bang pots and blow a horn, while in the background, a top-hatted nightingale sings from its nest. Not all letters are able to achieve such thematic unity. For the tricky letters, Q is for quiet, quail, quilt and queen, and "X is for XANTHUS hummingbird playing the XYLOPHONE. It's also for x-ray." In these and other cases, the additional words often have nothing to do with either animals or music, but they do help with letter-recognition practice. The animals are outfitted in clothing, hats and glasses in a bright and offbeat style that mixes collage and paint. The endpapers, on which the animals form the alphabet letters, are perhaps the cleverest part of the book. Preschoolers may not know all of the creatures (aardvark, kiwi, ibex), but they will have fun pointing out what's happening and connecting letters with them. Isn't that what alphabet books are supposed to do? (Picture book. 2-4)

Kirkus Reviews