Review of Alpha Buddies Land

[Marie Chalupová]

[Following is a volunteer review of "Alpha Buddies Land" by Donna Marie Rink.]

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3 out of 5 stars

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Alpha Buddies Land by Donna Marie Rink is a picture book for children designed to help them learn new words and short sentences. All the letters of the alphabet are depicted as cheerful and colorful characters engaging in various activities and interacting with objects that start with the same letter. Each letter is accompanied by a dedicated picture and a few sentences.

Let me start with the art. I appreciate that everything described in the text is also depicted in the pictures. Presenting the picture first allows children to think about the corresponding words themselves. While I wasn't a big fan of the art style, I believe the colorfulness and cheerfulness are well-suited for children. However, some children might find certain pictures a bit scary, as all objects have eyes, and the letters themselves may appear somewhat creepy.

As for the text, one thing I immediately noticed was the absence of something to tie it all together. I believe incorporating some common features in each story would help capture the children's interest and encourage them to explore all the letters. The adventures described in the book are somewhat lacking. It feels as though the author simply chose the first items and activities starting with the respective letter that came to mind and mashed them together randomly. I think adding more depth and connection to each story would make them more memorable. However, I must acknowledge that some of the stories were better than others.

The last thing that struck me as a bit odd was the choice of some words. I noticed that a few words seemed unusually advanced compared to the others. This made me question again how much thought was put into selecting the right words and combining them into a story.

Despite my reservations about the book, I believe it serves its intended purpose adequately. However, I feel there are better options available. The editing was thorough, and I did not encounter any typos or grammatical errors. Therefore, I rate this book 3 out of 5 stars.

I would recommend it to parents seeking a new alphabet book for their children. The colorful art will probably appeal to most kids, and they may even learn some new words along the way.

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Alpha Buddies Land
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon

[Jennifer Coxon]

Thank you for your honest and constructive review. I can understand your points regarding tying the adventures and storyline together, but I also don't think children young enough for this book have the same reaction.

[Marie Chalupová]

Thank you for your honest and constructive review. I can understand your points regarding tying the adventures and storyline together, but I also don't think children young enough for this book have the same reaction.

That's fair. It is tricky to rate a children's book. I tried to rate both as a future parent and by remembering the type of books I used to love as a child. I think I brought that point up first because my initial impression of the book cover and summary was that the characters would all go on adventures together, not separately. It wasn't the biggest issue I had with the book. It was more of a suggestion for improvement.

[Gerry Steen]

Your review highlights certain elements of the book that could be improved such as the pairs of eyes that might creep out the children, overly-advanced wording, and the adventures that are somewhat lacking. I am sure that the author will appreciate your feedback and make the required adjustments. This is what they pay us to do. Well done.

[Tomy Chandrafrost]

I agree with your opinion about this book. I learned a lot of new things from reading it, especially about how we can educate our children about alphabet better. Glad it can resonate with you.