Wilson-Max, Ken (2002). A Book of Letters. Illustrated by Manya Stojic. Scholastic. ISBN: 0-439-32455-. $ This is truly a book of letters, both the alphabet and the postal variety. In a twist on the chain letter, Abby recevies a letter, which tells her to pass it on to a child whose name starts with B. We follow the letters through the alphabet, until the child whose name begins with Y sends a letter to the first writer, Zuzu, bringing us full circle. The letter writers are from different parts of the globe, from a variety of climates, ethnicities, and ages. Although the concept seems a bit strained at times (all of the letter writers have excellent grammar and spelling), this is an entertaining book. The illustrations are colorful and focus on the childrens faces and their letters. The text is simple and is dominated by the short letters the children write to each other. There is a flap to lift on each page. At the end of the book is a removable poster, with the alphabet and each childs face and name, A to Z. A Book of Letters is would be particularly appropriate for a first or second grade classroom, and would be a great addition to a unit on letter writing.
