I'm sorry to say a bit of a let down. - Rated 
I really wanted to like this book.
I firmly believe that Maurice Sendak has created timeless childrens' books and some of the best childrens' books ever written or illustrated.
His artwork alone changed childrens' books for the better and forever with "Where the wild things are", his follow up books "In the night kitchen " and "Outside over there" were also magnificent works of art, this one however I feel lets the side down a little.
The pictures seem a little flat and have a "workbook, Sketchy" feel to them, like this is the first draft of a book that could be quite good.
The size of the book also lets it down, being really rather small, the crease in the page where it is joined together to form a book eats into the page and the illustration and means that you don't get the full impact of the work. Also because this is a children's' book and designed to be shared it needs to be bigger, it just isn't big enough to let your child get a really good look when sat on your knee "reading" with you
You could have solved this problem by giving the child the book to look at themselves, however the book isn't sturdy enough for this with delicate pages that rip easily and as it is a learning book designed to teach pre-reading children the alphabet it can't really be used without someone to read it out loud to its target audience.
I am really sad to be critical of such an important author and illustrators work but it is such a let down from his other career defining works ("Where the wild things are", "In the night kitchen" and "Outside over there" ) that I feel ... well disappointed.
Despair or Murder? - Rated 
This book is the kind of book that reaffirms your faith in life in the face of the kind of stuff that is thrown at you all the time. My children have all the Maurice Sendak books -- books which reaffirm my values. The kind of stuff that is thrown at me all the time goes like this narrative: I wanted to review this lovely Maurice Sendak book and revolting amazon.co.uk threw in my face some RECOMMENDATIONS based on my rating of this lovely Maurice Sendak book, i.e. a load of chicklit and also a book entitled **Is It Just Me or Is Everything Shit?: The Encyclopedia of Modern Life**
What hope for any of us when amazon.co.uk are unthinkingly throwing this kind of language in my face? I DON'T want their stupid ratings, EVER EVER EVER, and it is easier to tell them that this way than to go through their tortuous hoops to send a simple email. Be sure you buy your Sendak from a real old fashioned bookshop.
Makes a GREAT 5-K Program Song!! - Rated
The 5-K Classes where I was student teaching this year used this book set to music in their end-of-the-year program!! The hand motions and the "lyrics" were ADORABLE!!! When I saw it at the library, I just knew my son had to have a copy of his very own.
A clever, enthralling alphabet epic - Rated
The protagonist of this story is a suave, precociously cultured alligator. Through a series of events that range from shocking to awe-inspiring, the alligator regales the reader with powerful depictions of the versatility and charm that can be found in the alphabet. I found this book to be no less than the pinnacle of alphabet teaching aids, with its captivatingly vivid imagery that grabs the reader's interest and refuses to let go. People of all ages, particularly very young children, will find this book invaluable as a letter learning tool.
Childhood memories passed on to the next generation - Rated
Maurice Sendak and learning the alphabet! This combination is a winner. I loved this book so much as a child. I now use it as a stress reducer in my adult life. Maurice Sendak was before his time with this one. Children of all ages can glean something from it. Whether it is learning the alphabet or getting the giggles with the letter "G". A must for all great home libraries.
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