Review by Booklist Review
In a message of acceptance and body positivity, this alphabet book encourages people of all ages and abilities to join in forming letters with their bodies. Adults form the uppercase letters, while children do lowercase. The soft illustrations include people with a variety of body shapes, ages, and skin and hair colors, plus people using wheelchairs and other assistive devices. Each picture also contains objects that begin with the particular letter. Not all pages have the same number of items, adding interest and encouraging close observation. A list of the objects in the artwork is found in the back, which is especially helpful in identifying several different birds. The tradition of human alphabets goes back at least to the British Hotch Potch figures from 1782 and continues through the Pilobolus Dance Company's 2005 picture book, The Human Alphabet. Comparing those images with Luyken's warm and inviting figures could be a thoughtful extension. This book also would be a natural to incorporate with movement programs for children.
From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by Publisher's Weekly Review
"Can you wiggle your wrists?// Can you twist from your hips?/ Can you lean without bending your knees?" In a pictorial abecedarian whose visuals utilize the human form, Luyken draws white-clad figures with various abilities, body types, and skin tones contorting themselves into letters of the Latin alphabet. On each page, an adult forms an uppercase letter and a child forms its lowercase counterpart, accompanied by representative objects. Representing A and a, two pale-skinned people with long hair and green stockings each balance an apple. For L and l, a bearded adult portrayed with brown skin kneels alongside a lamp, while a white-presenting blond child who uses forearm crutches wears a lily behind their ear. Occasional interstitials portray figures in dancelike motion around pastel-hued pages' borders, highlighting specific body parts outlined by descriptive text: "From the smallest of hairs/ on the back of your neck// to the arches/ of your feet..." While not every letter's silhouette proves crystal clear, this illustrative work may well inspire similar movements. Ages 2--5. (June)
(c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved
Review by Kirkus Book Review
Posed bodies of adults and children form the upper- and lowercase letters of the alphabet. A handstand and a tall stretch make up the two versions of the letter I, while two other people each stand on one leg, the other leg held out, to form the letter K. Some of the poses appear doable, while others would likely require expert-level contortionist skills to complete. In each case, the adult forms the capital letter and the child, the lowercase letter; all are depicted holding relevant objects (eggs for E, umbrellas for U). A key at the back of the book outlines which objects are in which letter pictures; including the words alongside the images would have made for a more reader-friendly experience. Some simple rhyming text appears at a couple of points throughout, inviting readers to move. The illustrations are the real standout here, fluid and soft, a pale pastel palette setting the tone. All the people are dressed in white, allowing their unique features to stand out. The book's greatest strength is its diversity--characters vary by ability, age, skin tone, and size, with a wide range of body types on display. As a guide to understanding the alphabet, it's less successful, however; readers unfamiliar with their ABCs will have trouble recognizing what letters many of the bodies are attempting to spell out. (This book was reviewed digitally.) Not an alphabet book so much as an ode to the beauty of the human body. (Picture book. 2-5) Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
