Ox, House, Stick: The History of Our Alphabet
Robb's picture-book survey offers a fascinating look at the Roman alphabet, from its ancient origins to today. The approach is concise but comprehensive. Opening pages explore how and why written language developed in the first place: "Spoken language doesn't let you keep a record of what was said, and it doesn't let you talk to people who are far away." Robb also covers how early civilizations moved from picture symbols to the concept of letters and the history of specific letters, with text insets addressing related topics, such as the first writing materials. The open layouts feature appealing, stylized graphics that ably reinforce the text, including a map that demonstrates the spread of written language around the Mediterranean. Best suited for kids who have a handle on language concepts such as consonants and vowels, this will find a home in both social studies and language-arts units. The appended resources include books for both children and adults. Pair this with Tiphaine Samoyault's Alphabetical Order (1998). Engberg, Gillian--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.