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Alphabet Explosion!: Search and Count from Alien to Zebra
It's an alphabet explosion!
18 things in this book begin with the letter "A", 19 start with "H", and there are 37 ways of counting "S".
Can you find them all?
As you search, discover dazzling worlds where poodles paint, crows ride in corn-on-the-cob cars, unicorns wear underwear, and so much more. And when you've counted your way from A-Z, check your answers in the back of the book that lists all 421 things that appear.
18 things in this book begin with the letter "A", 19 start with "H", and there are 37 ways of counting "S".
Can you find them all?
As you search, discover dazzling worlds where poodles paint, crows ride in corn-on-the-cob cars, unicorns wear underwear, and so much more. And when you've counted your way from A-Z, check your answers in the back of the book that lists all 421 things that appear.
- GenresPicture Books
40 pages, Hardcover
First published September 12, 2006
14 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 20 of 20 reviews
March 22, 2017
Concept: 5 stars
Illustrations: 4 stars
Alphabet book in which there are no words; instead, children search and find items in the illustrations that begin with the featured letter on each page. The number of items to find is listed at the bottom of each page, and instructions of how to play the game are found on the first page spread. A list of the words can be found on the last few pages, in case you need help. Just the right level of challenge mixed with fun. Great for learning the alphabet in an engaging way and for improving the visual literacy of kids who already know their alphabet.
Illustrations: 4 stars
Alphabet book in which there are no words; instead, children search and find items in the illustrations that begin with the featured letter on each page. The number of items to find is listed at the bottom of each page, and instructions of how to play the game are found on the first page spread. A list of the words can be found on the last few pages, in case you need help. Just the right level of challenge mixed with fun. Great for learning the alphabet in an engaging way and for improving the visual literacy of kids who already know their alphabet.
June 26, 2019
The concept of this book is great, a hidden pictures that you have to find so many things listed that start with each letter of the alphabet. The execution was poor, the art work seemed dark and gloomy and when you get to the page with the letter U its a unicorn upside down on an umbrella pole wearing pink underwear seemed a little inappropriate for a children's book.
October 7, 2008
Alphabet Explosion! Search and Count From Alien to Zebra, by John Nickle, illustrated by Rachel Cole, published by Schwartz and Wade Books, the date of publication is 2006.
The book has not received any awards that I am aware of at this time.
This alphabet book is designed as an alphabetical game. On each page there is a new letter of the alphabet and the students have to try and find all of the pictures that start with that letter of the alphabet. For example, on page 1 it says 22 A’s. This means there is 22 different pictures or objects on the page that start with the letter A. This book is a fun and interesting book because not only are the students learning the different letters of the alphabet, but they are also able to associate these letters with pictures that are on the page. The students will be able to recognize that these objects or pictures start with the letter A and they will also be able to have some fun by playing a game while they are trying to learn the letters. The book goes on to list 29 B’s, 32 C’s, and so on. The first page with A has an alligator and many other pictures and the letter B has pictures of a butterfly, bat, baseball, etc. All of the letters of the alphabet are addressed in this book and they all have several different representations of each letter on the page.
For my first activity, I would have the students read the book and try to find as many of the pictures and objects they could for each letter. After, reading the book I would have the students draw pictures that would represent the different letters of their names. For example, my name is Amy, so I might draw an apple, a monkey, and a yoyo. Each student will do this for his or her first name and then they will share it with the class. They will tell what each of their pictures is and how it forms their first name.
My second activity would be to assign a letter of the alphabet to each student and then have him or her create a page with several different pictures that represent their letter. The students will need to make these colorful and write their letter at the bottom of their page. The students will also need to include the number of items on the page that start with their letter. When the students have completed their pages then I will have the students trade their papers with a partner and have them try to find all of the different representations of their partner’s letter.
This book could be connected to math and science. The teacher could connect this book to math by having the students try to find as many objects or pictures on the page that apply to a certain letter and then have them add how many they found and subtract that from how many they are supposed to find. This will give the students an idea of how many objects or pictures they did not identify. The teacher could also address the different pictures that are on the page and relate them to science. The teacher could talk about the alligator, or any of the other animals that are representation of letters in the alphabet.
The teacher would be able to spark the student’s imagination by having the students create their own picture representations of their names. The students will also be asked to create a page using their imaginations to draw several pictures of one letter of the alphabet.
The book has not received any awards that I am aware of at this time.
This alphabet book is designed as an alphabetical game. On each page there is a new letter of the alphabet and the students have to try and find all of the pictures that start with that letter of the alphabet. For example, on page 1 it says 22 A’s. This means there is 22 different pictures or objects on the page that start with the letter A. This book is a fun and interesting book because not only are the students learning the different letters of the alphabet, but they are also able to associate these letters with pictures that are on the page. The students will be able to recognize that these objects or pictures start with the letter A and they will also be able to have some fun by playing a game while they are trying to learn the letters. The book goes on to list 29 B’s, 32 C’s, and so on. The first page with A has an alligator and many other pictures and the letter B has pictures of a butterfly, bat, baseball, etc. All of the letters of the alphabet are addressed in this book and they all have several different representations of each letter on the page.
For my first activity, I would have the students read the book and try to find as many of the pictures and objects they could for each letter. After, reading the book I would have the students draw pictures that would represent the different letters of their names. For example, my name is Amy, so I might draw an apple, a monkey, and a yoyo. Each student will do this for his or her first name and then they will share it with the class. They will tell what each of their pictures is and how it forms their first name.
My second activity would be to assign a letter of the alphabet to each student and then have him or her create a page with several different pictures that represent their letter. The students will need to make these colorful and write their letter at the bottom of their page. The students will also need to include the number of items on the page that start with their letter. When the students have completed their pages then I will have the students trade their papers with a partner and have them try to find all of the different representations of their partner’s letter.
This book could be connected to math and science. The teacher could connect this book to math by having the students try to find as many objects or pictures on the page that apply to a certain letter and then have them add how many they found and subtract that from how many they are supposed to find. This will give the students an idea of how many objects or pictures they did not identify. The teacher could also address the different pictures that are on the page and relate them to science. The teacher could talk about the alligator, or any of the other animals that are representation of letters in the alphabet.
The teacher would be able to spark the student’s imagination by having the students create their own picture representations of their names. The students will also be asked to create a page using their imaginations to draw several pictures of one letter of the alphabet.
January 23, 2011
Kids love puzzles, and will pour over "I Spy" books for hours. We have loved Alphabet Explosion! by John Nickle, and think it's an ABC book that really engages kids - both those just learning their alphabet and older kids who just love picture puzzles. Puzzle books like this are particularly good for boys and kids who might not be drawn to traditional books.
Do you love a challenge? On each page, there are a certain number of things that begin with that letter of the alphabet: objects, actions, colors - all using bold, bright illustrations. Just take a look at the cover to get a sense of the whimsical A page: an alligator wears an apron with an atom circling on it, while an alien hovers above shooting a bow and arrow at the ant playing an accordion. On this page alone, there are 22 A words. "And if you find fewer, don't worry," Nickle warns, "it's tricky!" There's an answer key in the back, listing all the words that the Chief Alphabet Expert (aka Nickle) found.
Alphabet Explosion balances obvious answers with tricky ones, creating a search game that will engage kids of all ages. It had us all piled on the bed trying to figure out this fun puzzle! Hooray for alphabet books that are fun for the whole family to look at.
Would you like to sample some of the pages? Take a look at John Nickle's website to see his paintings from Alphabet Explosion! and test your detective skills!
Do you love a challenge? On each page, there are a certain number of things that begin with that letter of the alphabet: objects, actions, colors - all using bold, bright illustrations. Just take a look at the cover to get a sense of the whimsical A page: an alligator wears an apron with an atom circling on it, while an alien hovers above shooting a bow and arrow at the ant playing an accordion. On this page alone, there are 22 A words. "And if you find fewer, don't worry," Nickle warns, "it's tricky!" There's an answer key in the back, listing all the words that the Chief Alphabet Expert (aka Nickle) found.
Alphabet Explosion balances obvious answers with tricky ones, creating a search game that will engage kids of all ages. It had us all piled on the bed trying to figure out this fun puzzle! Hooray for alphabet books that are fun for the whole family to look at.
Would you like to sample some of the pages? Take a look at John Nickle's website to see his paintings from Alphabet Explosion! and test your detective skills!
Read
September 22, 2016This book was very different from any alphabet book I have ever read. It combines a strategy of teaching letters through words, while also incorporating counting. Instead of teaching, it tests your knowledge with a game. In the introduction, it gives the criteria of how to use the book or rather play the game. For instance, don't count shapes that look like letters and do count pictures that have "two turtles" as two T's but "yo-yo" as one Y. Each page contains one letter and has the answer of how many pictures are represented by that letter at the bottom of the page. It even includes the author's email address in case someone was to find more letters than he did. This would help intrigue children to find as many as possible to prove him wrong and become the new "alphabet expert." This book would be really good to let children practice their abilities on their own or in groups and then have a discussion about the correct answers afterward. They could even write out each finding and practice spelling skills. The illustrations were done very well. Each page is just as captivating as the previous one! I think this would be very beneficial to use after lunch. It attracts the kid's interest in a game yet still encourages learning in many different areas. Could be useful for 1st grade and up.
September 5, 2012
I thoroughly enjoyed this alphabet/counting book. The illustrations were whimsical, yet realistically portrayed objects, animals, and other such nouns that children learn everyday. I believe this book could be a very fun, energetic game for a class, group, or individual child when the game is played. I am a huge supporter of dramatic learning; getting the kids physically and verbally involved with each letter can greatly affect their experience.
This book puts, not just a few nouns, but numerous nouns on each page. Finding all of them could be continuous throughout a whole semester (year) of class, and more time can be spent on each letter.
A great book for a great teaching tool!
I couldn't even find all of the nouns.
This book puts, not just a few nouns, but numerous nouns on each page. Finding all of them could be continuous throughout a whole semester (year) of class, and more time can be spent on each letter.
A great book for a great teaching tool!
I couldn't even find all of the nouns.
February 23, 2008
Each page of this entertaining picture book features images of items that begin with a certain letter of the alphabet and it is the reader’s job to identify them all. (Lemur at the laundromat, lion in a litter box, and lobster in the library are only a few of the 26 L words pictured.) The acrylic and spray paint illustrations are colorful and detailed but not so busy as to overwhelm the reader. Can’t find all 25 G words? There’s a list at the back, so no need to lose sleep. Visually-challenging and a terrific vocabulary builder, this title proves you’re never too old for a great ABC book.
January 24, 2010
I think I'm developing a 'thing' for ABC books and this one is really cool! For each letter there is a number beside it representing how many things on the page start with that letter. So it also doubling as a counting book. I think this would be really useful for older kids who may need reinforced letter recognition because it is more mature and not so babyish like some ABC books can be. It would also be a fun to incorporate as an activity and have kids find and write all of the words for each letter.
May 1, 2011
This is a great alphabet book that teachers and parents can use to help young students learn their letters and letter sounds. The illustrations are bright and colorful, making the book exciting and intriguing for students. You can project the illustrations using the doc camera, and students can work together to find objects as a class. This helps students to identify sounds and words related to different letters.
February 10, 2011
This was a very creatively-designed book to teach intermediate-level students more about the alphabet and the numerous nouns that begin with each letter. They can test their vocabulary to determine whether or not they can name the objects on each page and double-check their answers in the back of the book. This could be a helpful tool when learning about alliterations, for instance.
May 14, 2014
My five-year-old son picked this book out from the library today. It's a alphabet book and he loves his alphabet books.
It was fun to look for the objects on the page, although sometimes the object were so obscure that I had trouble identifying them. And sometimes it felt like there was too much. But it was still a very fun, wonderfully illustrated book.
It was fun to look for the objects on the page, although sometimes the object were so obscure that I had trouble identifying them. And sometimes it felt like there was too much. But it was still a very fun, wonderfully illustrated book.
June 15, 2008
Fantastic book! It's like an ispy--but better! You have to identify items that start with the letter, rather than being told what items to find. Great illustration! (Also, answers listed in the back.)
September 11, 2007
It was more for children that already knew the alphabet. It is a cute activity though, like Where's Waldo.
March 25, 2010
Eric and I sat there for forever reading this book. Great for all ages of kids.
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January 26, 2011Mary Ann Scheuer has a wonderful review at Great Kid Books
May 20, 2011
Great illustrations! Lots of different things for kids to find on each page.
April 1, 2012
Even Daddy & Mommy had fun reading this one!
October 4, 2013
This is the Ultimate Annotated Alphabet for kids!
May 23, 2014
Some of these pictures are quite challenging but fun. Great to do with an older storytime.
April 10, 2015
A super-fun and unusual alphabet book. My six-year-old son had fun hunting for, and naming, the alphabet objects.
Displaying 1 - 20 of 20 reviews