Country Road ABC: An Illustrated Journey Through America's Farmland by Arthur GeisertMy rating: 4 of 5 stars
Alphabet book with a theme of farm life and rural living. Wonderful illustrations. Gives students a chance to learn more about mid-west farm life and develop great vocabulary for letters;goes beyond A is for apple. A is for ammonia fertilizer, D is for disking. This will be a title to read again and again because there are layers and depths to discover with each reading. I enjoyed this one.
School Library Journal (April 1, 2010)
PreS-Gr 3-A storm is unleashed over a city on the title page. As the story progresses, the sky clears and readers travel with a school bus, trucks, and other vehicles into a rural landscape. Each spread is devoted to an uppercase letter, a corresponding word, and a small black-and-white rendering of a concept or object. The road-surrounded by unfolding, full-color scenes of farms, a firehouse, a bar, a diner, a church, a rural town on the Fourth of July, and other assorted places-continues to meander along the bottom of the pages. For those who aren't familiar with "ammonia fertilizer" (A) or "erosion" (E), a conversational glossary is provided. "X" marks a spot on Y's "County Road Y31"; the aerial view highlights the shape of the always-challenging letter nicely. While the alphabetic arrangement provides an organizational scheme and an informational resource, children will return to the illustrations to revel in Geisert's detailed etchings of farmers working and relaxing. The story spans the four seasons with touches of humor, solemnity, and of course, pigs a-plenty. Several scenes, rendered in strong, black silhouettes, lend an air of calm and contrast. Children may enjoy comparing the style and subject matter to Alice and Martin Provensen's Town and Country (Harcourt, 1994).-Wendy Lukehart, Washington DC Public Library Copyright 2010 Reed Business Information.
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