Review: The Sleepy Little Alphabet

Summary: A fun read-aloud for little ones who are learning their ABCs.

It's sleepy time in Alphabet Town. But the twenty-six little letters of the alphabet all have something they need—or want—to do before big-letter moms and dads tuck them in. Not since the classic Chicka Chicka Boom Boom has there been such an appealing way to teach the youngest child the ABCs while providing a one-minute goodnight story. Of course, Melissa Sweet’s animated watercolor, pencil, and collage illustrations may beg for a little more time to match up all the toys with the right letters, and Judy Sierra’s rollicking rhymed story will want to be heard again and again. Okay, so maybe it’s a three-minute story! -- Knopf

I'm not sure who liked this book better, me or my son! THE SLEEPY LITTLE ALPHABET by Judy Sierra and illustrated by Melissa Sweet is just the cutest darn book that I've seen in a long time. I couldn't wait to read it to my son; and as soon as we finished the book, we went back and looked at all of the pictures again. I'm certain that it's going to be a new favorite for us.

THE SLEEPY LITTLE ALPHABET is an ideal bedtime book. The basic idea is that each of the letters in the alphabet are getting ready to go to bed. For example, the letter B "still has a bath to take" and the letter T "tucks in her teddy bear." The story goes through each letter in the alphabet until all of the letters are sound asleep in their own beds. It is just too adorable. I think the book will help to get your child into the mindset of sleep (as much as any book can.)

This book is a quick read and I can almost promise that your child will stay interested the entire time. There story is pretty catchy since it does rhyme, and there are just a few big words on each page. What really makes this book extra-special are the illustrations -- they are just beautiful. I don't know if you can tell with the small picture of the book at the beginning of this review, but each letter has a funny-little face and lots of colors and patterns. Every page in this book is cuter than the next, and I love how the illustrator even managed to capture facial expressions on the little letters. There is a lot going on in each picture and I think children will keep noticing new things every time they pick up the book.

As a mother, I absolutely loved the story, but I also thought it was terrific that this book teaches children their ABCs. I thought it was just so cute that the children letters were lowercase, and the parent letters were the capitals. What I especially liked is that the text in the book referenced the letters in their lowercase form which are often times more difficult for children to learn. This story is so entertaining that kids might not even realize that you are working on their letters with them.

In fact when my son and I read this book, I make him say the letters that appear in the text -- it's kind of like a read-a-long for us. He likes participating and I like that he is practicing his lowercase letters. He thought this book was terrific and he laughed a lot when I read it the first time. Of course, his favorite parts were the letter U who "takes off his underwear" and the letters O and P who "upset the potty" (he is a boy for sure because anything potty related is hilarious.) He also liked the letter Q who is "quiet as a bunny." I was shocked when we talked about this story how much he remembered about the various letters and their bedtime activities.

I can't recommend this book enough. It is absolutely perfect for the toddler or preschooler in your life. It has already been named the winner of the 20209 Oppenheim Toy Portfolio. This book is available on June 9th, so make sure you order your copy today. You and your child will not be disappointed!

A big thanks to Random House for sending me a copy of THE SLEEPY LITTLE ALPHABET.