Alpha Oops! The Day Z Went First

Alpha Oops! The Day Z Went First, by Alethea Kontis, absolute favorite alphabet books to read with children. It is filled with humor and fun illustrations, perfect for capturing the attention of primary students. In the story, the letter Z feels tired of always being last in line when moving through the alphabet! He expresses his upset to the other letters, and as they begin to agree that they should start from the end (Z) and work their way backwards, other letters start to think about their placement in line too. The middle letters agree that no matter what, they will always be stuck in the middle. Pretty soon, all of the letters are mixed up, and the order becomes slightly chaotic. The characters eventually work together to problem solve and come to a resolution, the cutest ending to such a sweet, funny story!

The pages are filled with little pictures of items that start with each letter, which, in turn, becomes a fun hunt for the audience to match pictures and letters together. I think this book would be a fun introduction to an alphabetizing lesson, or it can be read as a broad, yet silly, introduction to the alphabet, which I just did in my classroom with my kindergarteners this week! In a different light, this book can also be used to have discussions about fitting in (whether it be in terms of a classroom or a family), and no matter what order, as long as everyone is present and accounted for, everyone is part of the group (and an important part, at that!).

This book is meant for students in preschool up to about second grade. Each alphabet letter character in the story has its' own personality, color, and look, encompassing all different types of behavior, both genders, and a wide range of traits. This book is very light hearted and holds a little suspense for readers wondering which letter of the alphabet will pop up on the next page. The book is so well written, and the colorful pictures are such a delight, keeping the reader's attention the whole way through! Overall, this book is a fun read!
-Kaitlynn DeGrano