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Girls A to Z
The world is full of great things to be and do. Meet Aliki, Belinda, Chris, and the other girls who are having fun dreaming of what they want to be when they grow up. This lively alphabet book shows girls imagining various professions and activities, from astronaut to zookeeper. Eve Bunting's breezy, rhyming text, with lively illustrations by Suzanne Bloom, invites girls to "dream any dream you want to dream."
- GenresPicture BooksChildrens
32 pages, Hardcover
First published October 1, 2002
54 people want to read
About the author
Eve Bunting
307 books406 followersAlso known as Evelyn Bolton and A.E. Bunting.
Anne Evelyn Bunting, better known as Eve Bunting, is an author with more than 250 books. Her books are diverse in age groups, from picture books to chapter books, and topic, ranging from Thanksgiving to riots in Los Angeles. Eve Bunting has won several awards for her works.
Bunting went to school in Ireland and grew up with storytelling. In Ireland, “There used to be Shanachies… the shanachie was a storyteller who went from house to house telling his tales of ghosts and fairies, of old Irish heroes and battles still to be won. Maybe I’m a bit of a Shanchie myself, telling stories to anyone who will listen.” This storytelling began as an inspiration for Bunting and continues with her work.
In 1958, Bunting moved to the United States with her husband and three children. A few years later, Bunting enrolled in a community college writing course. She felt the desire to write about her heritage. Bunting has taught writing classes at UCLA. She now lives in Pasadena, California.
Anne Evelyn Bunting, better known as Eve Bunting, is an author with more than 250 books. Her books are diverse in age groups, from picture books to chapter books, and topic, ranging from Thanksgiving to riots in Los Angeles. Eve Bunting has won several awards for her works.
Bunting went to school in Ireland and grew up with storytelling. In Ireland, “There used to be Shanachies… the shanachie was a storyteller who went from house to house telling his tales of ghosts and fairies, of old Irish heroes and battles still to be won. Maybe I’m a bit of a Shanchie myself, telling stories to anyone who will listen.” This storytelling began as an inspiration for Bunting and continues with her work.
In 1958, Bunting moved to the United States with her husband and three children. A few years later, Bunting enrolled in a community college writing course. She felt the desire to write about her heritage. Bunting has taught writing classes at UCLA. She now lives in Pasadena, California.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 30 reviews
August 29, 2017
I enjoyed how this book was not gender specific when it came to female professions. Throughout the alphabet there were girl mechanics, presidents, race car driver, and a farmer. I love how this book opens the possibility to girls that just because they haven't seen someone in these roles doesn't mean that its not possible, they could be the first in their community. As a child I dreamed of being the first woman president, not going to happen but you can still dream right?!, and that was due to the fact that I had a family who didn't put gender stereotypes on my dreams, they allowed me to dream as big as I wished. I love books that do that same thing to children.
February 13, 2020
Bunting, Eve. Girls A to Z. (2002). Bloom,Susan - Illustrator. Girls A to Z is an alphabet book using girls' names and an occupation. It starts with Aliki is an astronaut, and ends with Zoe's zoo is well known. Brightly illustrated in watercolors, each page depicts a girl (various ethnicity are represented) with her corresponding occupation. The book is written in rhyme, giving a rhythm to the reading. However, I felt like some rhymes were a bit forced as the book progressed through the alphabet. Also, there is no letter corresponding with the name and job on any of the pages. It would have been a great way to show a capital letter and a lower case, and apply how they are used. The last page of the book is a little cheer of encouragement for girls to strive for their dreams. Despite the lack of letters to introduce the girl and the awkward rhyming, it would be a good book to read to a Pre-K and kindergarten classes. Pre-K and Kindergartners would also enjoy perusing the book and seeing each girl playing at her name matching career.
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October 26, 2017 This children’s book is about girls who dream to be any profession in this world. The profession they wish to be starts with the same letter of their names. From an astronaut to a zookeeper, girls dream to be any and every career in the book. Eve Bunting’s objective is to inspire girls that they can be anything they want to be and do anything they want to do. Dreams can become reality.
March 2, 2019
An alphabet book depicting girls in many different professions. Both the name of the girl and her profession start with the featured letter. Sends an encouraging message of empowerment to girls that they can grow up to be whatever they want, which is still such a critical theme to impart to children. The bright, colorful watercolor illustrations contain multicultural girls of various races and ethnicities.
June 26, 2025
An ABC of girls' names, and different jobs and activities.
October 27, 2009
Eve Bunting and Suzanne Bloom have created a charming, rhyming, romping and empowering A-to-Z book for girls. From “Aliki is an astronaut” to “Zoe’s zoo’s well known,” these 26 girls show us that girls should dream their futures as big as they’d like. Bloom’s illustrations convey so well the joy that these girls feel doing the things they like to do and do so well (“Tanya teaches little kids to say the alphabet” with pretzels broken into the shape of letters – how clever is that?!). They also represent different backgrounds, cultures and abilities, which serve to highlight the uniqueness in all of us - the heart of Bunting’s message.
November 11, 2012
Awesome alphabet book. Many of the girls' names aren't very popular ones, which I thought was interesting, but I loved that it showed girls as all kinds of different things—an engineer, an astronaut, a zookeeper, an umpire, a gondolier.
November 29, 2018
From A to Z, every girl is unique! We all have different passions and different dreams, but we are all capable of doing great things! I enjoyed the simplicity of this book because it chose a girl's name for each letter of the alphabet and gave her a career. While it was a very simple book, I still found it to have a powerful message because it encourages young girls to work hard to become anything they want in the world! I appreciated how the author used careers that are usually viewed as man jobs, like a firefighter or President, but she also included stay at home moms or teachers, which are typical jobs for women. I would use this book in my class but I would not limit it to just girls. I would want to teach boys and girls in my class to respect each other's dreams. I would use this book to limit the tension between boys and girls and try to make them all feel equal despite their genders.
September 12, 2023
"Girls A to Z" by Eve Bunting is a delightful alphabet style book. Each page, the reader is introduced to a young girl with a different career/job. The alphabet is incorporated by the first girl's name on the page starting with "A" and the last page of the book ending with "Z". With colorful, water-color looking illustrations, this book is sure to catch the eye of a young child. This story would be most enjoyed by kindergarteners due to the conciseness of each page. Additionally, this book would fit nicely into the kindergarten curriculum, as that is when children start to recognize and know the sounds of each letter. I really enjoyed the hint of empowerment to women and girls throughout the book as well. This story tells both young girls and boys that they can be and do whatever they set their mind to, which is a very powerful message to convey, especially at a young age!
August 18, 2017
This is an alphabet book. On each page we have a girl's name and an occupation that start with that letter. "Aliki is an astronaut." "Haifa likes to stay at home."
The girls' names and their pictures represent diverse ethnicities, hair styles, and clothing styles. They're all young girls still pretending to/playing about these occupations. There are girls with and without glasses. There's a girl in a wheel chair.
There's also a diversity of occupations -- both those traditionally female and those that aren't.
This is the kind of book that should be in every young girl's library.
The girls' names and their pictures represent diverse ethnicities, hair styles, and clothing styles. They're all young girls still pretending to/playing about these occupations. There are girls with and without glasses. There's a girl in a wheel chair.
There's also a diversity of occupations -- both those traditionally female and those that aren't.
This is the kind of book that should be in every young girl's library.
December 26, 2017
This is really colorful and fun.
It's an alphabet book where the girls' names and occupations start with the letter on each page. All the girls shown are young, but they do vary some in age, and they're of many different races and ethnicities, and they have different hair and clothing styles. There's at least one disabled character.
There's also a lot of variety in the occupations shown (and some might not be what you'd normally think of as occupations).
It's an alphabet book where the girls' names and occupations start with the letter on each page. All the girls shown are young, but they do vary some in age, and they're of many different races and ethnicities, and they have different hair and clothing styles. There's at least one disabled character.
There's also a lot of variety in the occupations shown (and some might not be what you'd normally think of as occupations).
March 21, 2018
I liked how this book enforced the alphabet. I also liked how if the girl dreamed it they could become it. The professions the girls dream of start with the same letter as their name. This helps students recognize the alphabet in ways they might not have before.
May 21, 2017
Girl power! Girls can do everything.
February 24, 2020
I liked the character diversity and all the different jobs, and life choices a girl can be. Great conversation starter with my dd.
October 8, 2020
This book goes through different pictures that give us everyone's job. For example, yoga, vert, nanny, and umpire. Anybody can be anything they want.
July 24, 2023
“Girls, be anything you want to be. Do what you want to do. Dream any dream you want to dream. The world is here for you.”
Fun illustrations accompany an empowering list of vocations for girls.
Fun illustrations accompany an empowering list of vocations for girls.
December 17, 2013
Read my full review at wadingthroughbooks.wordpress.com!
I bought this book at the Word on the Street Festival this year for my niece, since her first birthday is coming up. I loved how diverse it was without making it the point of the book. All of the little girls are of different ethnicities, and one girl is in a wheelchair. However, this makes no difference to their interests. Any girl can have any interest. There are traditionally feminine vocations included–homemaking, cooking, dancing, teaching, being a librarian, childcare, and music. There are also traditionally masculine vocations, such as engineering, computer science, sports, and politics. There are ‘high-class’ interests like being a surgeon and ‘low-class’ interests like selling gasoline. The words are simple, with every girl’s name and interest beginning with the same letter of the alphabet. The letters aren’t emphasized visually (some alphabet books would make the letter larger on the page), and the vocabulary isn’t simplified (astronaut and xylophone aren’t easy words to read), so this book is probably more suitable to read to a very beginning reader, instead of having him or her read to an adult. However, the pictures are large and bright, and can be used by the adult to help prompt the child to read the interests.
This book is lovely, and I can’t wait to read it to little niece, once I’m sure that she won’t try to chew on the pages.
I bought this book at the Word on the Street Festival this year for my niece, since her first birthday is coming up. I loved how diverse it was without making it the point of the book. All of the little girls are of different ethnicities, and one girl is in a wheelchair. However, this makes no difference to their interests. Any girl can have any interest. There are traditionally feminine vocations included–homemaking, cooking, dancing, teaching, being a librarian, childcare, and music. There are also traditionally masculine vocations, such as engineering, computer science, sports, and politics. There are ‘high-class’ interests like being a surgeon and ‘low-class’ interests like selling gasoline. The words are simple, with every girl’s name and interest beginning with the same letter of the alphabet. The letters aren’t emphasized visually (some alphabet books would make the letter larger on the page), and the vocabulary isn’t simplified (astronaut and xylophone aren’t easy words to read), so this book is probably more suitable to read to a very beginning reader, instead of having him or her read to an adult. However, the pictures are large and bright, and can be used by the adult to help prompt the child to read the interests.
This book is lovely, and I can’t wait to read it to little niece, once I’m sure that she won’t try to chew on the pages.
October 30, 2012
Girls A to Z is a children’s picture book about several occupations, sports, and activities that girls can do. It has detailed illustrations showing girls in common as well as non-traditional fields of work for females. There are girls who are the president, an astronaut, an umpire, race car driver, fire fighter, and a gondolier.
As a literacy teacher, I would use this book in the classroom around the time the school has career day. I would use it to introduce the titles of occupations some people have and the illustrations would help the students get a mental image of exactly what each profession is.
The author, Eve Buntings’ background related closely to the text because she is a female and has worked in several fields. Along with being children’s author, Buntings was also a college instructor, novelist, and a freelance writer. The illustrator, Suzanne Bloom’s background is also related to the text because she too is a female. This text can teach students that is doesn’t matter if someone is a girl, they can be whatever they want. Girls can be a nanny, like ballet, or a surgeon. I would recommend this book to teachers because it shows children people are not locked into a certain role in life due to race or gender, and to also be accepting of others around us.
As a literacy teacher, I would use this book in the classroom around the time the school has career day. I would use it to introduce the titles of occupations some people have and the illustrations would help the students get a mental image of exactly what each profession is.
The author, Eve Buntings’ background related closely to the text because she is a female and has worked in several fields. Along with being children’s author, Buntings was also a college instructor, novelist, and a freelance writer. The illustrator, Suzanne Bloom’s background is also related to the text because she too is a female. This text can teach students that is doesn’t matter if someone is a girl, they can be whatever they want. Girls can be a nanny, like ballet, or a surgeon. I would recommend this book to teachers because it shows children people are not locked into a certain role in life due to race or gender, and to also be accepting of others around us.
October 6, 2008
The genre of Girls A to Z is an alphabet book. Each page has a different girl on it, who's name starts with a letter of the alphabet, and has a job that begins with that same letter. The pictures are very artisitc. The book has a good lesson that girls can do anything they dream of, and that they don't have to fall into stereotypical gender roles.
Activities:
1) Discuss the different jobs that are named in the book. Brainstorm other jobs that begin with those letters. Then have the students choose a job that they want to do when they grow up. They will research their job to see what kind of work is involved with it. They will write about what job they want, what they will be doing to perform the job, and why they want that job.
2) The students can brainstorm themes to write their own alphabet book about. After they come up with a theme and words for each letter of the alphabet, they will make their own alphabet book, including pictures of each word that they chose.
Activities:
1) Discuss the different jobs that are named in the book. Brainstorm other jobs that begin with those letters. Then have the students choose a job that they want to do when they grow up. They will research their job to see what kind of work is involved with it. They will write about what job they want, what they will be doing to perform the job, and why they want that job.
2) The students can brainstorm themes to write their own alphabet book about. After they come up with a theme and words for each letter of the alphabet, they will make their own alphabet book, including pictures of each word that they chose.
August 10, 2009
I did not like this book. While I like the concept, the actual book is not worth the time to read. My first dislike, though small, is the names are "out there"...could she have used some more common ones?! But more importantly is that the very last page is a sum up of how girls can do anything they want and some other lines that I don't appreciate. Not that girls can't do anything...but rather I believe they can do what God wants them to do and that was not the message of this book. Not a read to repeat for us and I would say don't bother for you.
April 14, 2012
I enjoyed reading this book just about girls. This book has girl names from A to Z. I love the way they use girls names starting from "Alikia" who wants to be an astronaut to "Zoe" who likes running a zoo. In this book and I was surprised to see my name "Nicky" who is a nanny. I'm quite sure that little girls will be happy to see their name too. This book encouraged little girls that they can be any thing that they want to be.
April 13, 2011
Each letter of the alphabet stars one girl doing an activity--"Quinn's the harvest queen" as an example. Illustrations show setting/details of activity. Girls will enjoy imagining themselves in different roles and the message of the book is girls can do whatever they want to do.
May 2, 2013
this is a great book to show that women can be anything they want to be. It is a book that is all about girls but has them growing up to be things that are usually seen as a "man's" job. great way to show the freedom of job choice.
June 3, 2008
Wonderful! Portrays a different girl with a letter of the alphabet acting out a different type of career/interest. Very empowering and fun!
March 12, 2009
Girls whose names and interests begin with the same letter are arranged alphabetically. Like Lupe the Librarian.
September 20, 2010
Rhymes and uses alliteration. Sends strong message to girls that they can be anything they want to be.
November 2, 2013
Review to follow
May 28, 2014
ABC book that includes words that support sound. As a child of the 60s and 70s I have to go for books that show a rounded definition of what girls can do. Girly girl things and traditional male jobs.
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April 23, 20181.NA
2.Kindergarten
3.Bloom goes through the letters of the alphabet while inspiring young girls to dream big.
4.I love that this book shows young girls that anything is possible if they believe it is.
5.(1)reviewing the alphabet as part of fundations
2.Kindergarten
3.Bloom goes through the letters of the alphabet while inspiring young girls to dream big.
4.I love that this book shows young girls that anything is possible if they believe it is.
5.(1)reviewing the alphabet as part of fundations
Displaying 1 - 30 of 30 reviews