Chesapeake ABC
by P riscilla Cummings, illustrated by David Aiken
Tidewater Publishers: $11.95.
reviewed by Hanne Denney
A is for anchor,
So heavy it will stay
Wherever it is dropped
So a ship won’t drift away.
Have you read one of Priscilla Cummings’ stories about Chadwick the Crab? Her new book, Chesapeake ABC, puts Chesapeake Country to work to teach the alphabet. Illustrations by David Aiken make Baysiders feel at home in the book. Geese, herons, jellyfish and orioles (both birds and baseball!) appear in delightful four-line poems.
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Read it to your sisters, brothers or the kids you baby-sit to teach them letters through rhythms and clever word play. Good words, sounds and bright colors increase a child’s attention span. A group of pre-schoolers I read it with enjoyed three encores in a row.
The children especially enjoyed the letter “Q.” They easily memorized it to say to any ducks we meet.
“Q is for quack, quack!
That’s how ducks like to talk.
“Quack, quack! Let’s go in swimming!”
“Quack, quack! Let’s take a walk!”
I enjoyed it, and I think you will,
too. It’s even better if read outside!
How the Letter N Was Made
by Emily Kehne, age 8
Once upon a time, there was a land way far off in another galaxy. Lines lived there. Nothing but lines. Straight lines.
One day, the most terrible thing happened. A line was walking down the road, and SMACK!!!! A car (very much like ours) had run into the line!
It crippled, it crumpled..
Everyone standing around him gasped. The line was making a very funny noise. It sounded like this, “Nn, nnnn, nnn, nnnnnnnnnnnn.”
But it wasn’t the sound that made the other lines clench their fists. When a line bent like that, it was a sign that it was greedy and selfish.
Immediately, the lines called the best and farthest kicker in their world. The poor line was kicked and landed on Earth. By that time, he looked like this:
and he was still going, “Nnnn, nnn, nnnnnn, nn, nnnnnnnnn …”
When people saw him, they just stared. Then a man named Alpha went Ah-ha!! That’s how the letter N was made.
THE END
Kids' Calendar
Babies in Bloom
Stories, songs, rhymes, and finger plays all spell FUN for babies. Anne Arundel County Libraries invite parents to bring their babies to storytime. It’s never too early to come to the library. Ages up to 24 mos. Call your local library.
B.I.N.G.O
Fri. March 16 (6-9pm)-The fun never stops when you play real live BINGO. Numbers, animals, holidays … a different game every time. Prizes and refreshments, too. $. Ages 7-14. North Beach Community Ctr., North Beach: 410/257-2554.
Bamboo, Not Just for Pandas
Sun. March 18 (3-4pm)-Pandas love it and so can you. Have fun making bamboo wind chimes. See how many ways you can use bamboo without eating it. Bring clippers or small hand saw. $. All ages. Kings Landing Park, Huntingtown: 410/535-5327.
Tadpole or Salamander?
Sun. March 18 (2-4pm)-Explore what lives in, above and under the water. Streams and ponds hold lots of surprises. Catch and identify frogs, turtles, fish, tadpoles and dragonflies. Bring a towel and change of clothes. All Ages. $. Jug Bay Wetlands Sanctuary, Lothian. rsvp: 410/741-9330.
M is for Maryland
Mon. March19 (7pm)-Orioles, Ocean City, Babe Ruth. Get a jumpstart on Maryland Day. Celebrate with author Carla Golembe when she presents her book, M Is for Maryland. Discover all the reasons that Maryland is such a great state. Ages 5-12. Borders Books, Bowie. 301/352-5571.
Copyright 2001
Bay Weekly
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