School Library Journal Review
PreS-Gr 1-A jaunty rabbit in a top hat guides readers through the world of letters in this enthusiastic new picture book. Letters have great power, readers learn, with the ability to form mighty words. Words can be slippery like trout, or limber like an acrobat. Some letters even form brand-new words, like swinkle! Words can then be strung together to form stories, like, "Carrots love dirt." Accompanied by Minor's mix of loose, light, and lively graphite drawings and colorful collage, Johnston's text adeptly conveys enchantment. While entertaining, the narrative occasionally becomes so whimsical that it begins to lack meaning ("Noodles are quiet but they think deep thoughts") and distract readers from the overall message of the importance of letters and words. VERDICT A fanciful and enthusiastic romp through Letterville that could spark a love of reading and writing in some children. Best for one-on-one sharing.-Laura Lintz, Henrietta Public Library, Rochester, NY © Copyright 2019. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Publisher's Weekly Review
Plenty of books celebrate the power and fun of words. Johnston and Minor, the team behind Cat, What Is That?, seek to remind readers that without letters, there wouldn't be any words. Because letters can be arranged in seemingly endless combinations, everyone has a distinctive name-a point that one spread drives home in a dialogue balloon filled with line after line of names in a typographic celebration of individuality. Letters make possible words that tickle brains and tongues: "The flibbertigibbet ate an enchanted quesadilla and became an acrobat, who slipped on a trout." Most importantly, letters unlock all the possibilities of reading and writing. The book doesn't entirely fulfill its promise that "letters hold magic. When you know their secrets, they open worlds"; beyond telling readers that "each letter has a name, wonderful and strange" the creators jump quickly to full-blown words without focusing on the letters' distinctive looks and sounds. But the text is heartfelt, and Minor's sketchbook-style illustrations have an immediacy and energy that will make readers feel that they're peering over his shoulder as the drawings take shape. Ages 4-8. (Apr.) © Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.
