Book Descriptions
for Apple Pie ABC by Alison Murray
From Cooperative Children's Book Center (CCBC)
It’s unusual to find an alphabet book that tells a good story, but together the narrative and artful illustrations in Alison Murray’s picture book do just that. Murray’s stylized prints, in a subdued but striking palette of red, orange, and blue with splashes of yellow, black, and white on cream, show a small girl making an apple pie, and her small black-and-white dog, who longs for a bit, a bite, or every last crumb. Each alphabet letter is presented like a quilt block on a page in which the narrative details the dog’s continuing quest for the coveted pie with a significant word or phrase that starts with the letter featured. When the pie is done, the dog must “[L] leave without it” but later is “[Q] quietly determined” to return. “[Y] yum yum ... [Z] zzzzzzzzz ... go to sleep and dream of it.” Terrific word choice in the brief text, and delightful images of the dog in action and his interactions with the often admonishing girl, add to the fun of this handsomely designed, appealing volume. Honor Book, 2012 Charlotte Zolotow Award (Ages 2–5)
CCBC Choices 2012. © Cooperative Children's Book Center, Univ. of Wisconsin - Madison, 2012. Used with permission.
From the Publisher
A bite-sized, chunky board book edition of Apple Pie ABC. A mouth-watering introduction to the alphabet. This traditional verse is retold with wit, filled with charm and illustrated with tremendous style by an exciting artist. Follow the funny exploits of the utterly lovable dog in this charming story as he does his best to get his paws on the pie!
"Rarely can the alphabet have been presented in a more child-friendly way."
THE INDEPENDENT
"Parchment-coloured pages and linocut images in muted shades give this neatly designed book traditional warmth."
THE SUNDAY TIMES
"Utterly lovable."
SCOTLAND ON SUNDAY
Publisher description retrieved from Google Books.