D Is for Democracy: A Citizen's Alphabet (Sleeping Bear Alphabets)
Gr. 5-8. The organizing device for this book on the U.S and its government is the alphabet, with each letter introducing a person, place, thing, or concept. From "Amendment" and "Bill of Rights" to "You and me" and "Zeitgeist," each letter inspires a rhymed couplet about the topic, though some are a bit arcane: "X marks the spot / for a meeting one fall / of the very first Congress / in Philadelphia's Carpenter's Hall." The accompanying text includes two or three informative paragraphs written in polysyllabic words at a much higher reading level than the verse. The book's intended audience is a puzzle, as readers old enough to understand the text may well be put off by the alphabet theme and the verse. However, the broad appeal of Juhasz's colorful artwork is clear. Sure to please anyone from young children to adults, the drawings have an informal, accessible look bolstered by abundant energy, evident skill in caricature, and a sure sense of composition. For larger collections.Carolyn PhelanCopyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved