Puddle's ABC (Toot & Puddle)

Holly Hobbie has worked as an artist for more than thirty years and is the author of eleven highly acclaimed Toot & Puddle picture books as well as Gem, Fanny, Fanny and Annabelle, and Everything but the Horse. She has also written an illustrated memoir, The Art of Holly Hobbie.

Dedicated to "readers-to-be," this appealing alphabet lesson comes sandwiched between a slight but agreeable story about how Puddle the pig teaches Otto the turtle to write his name. First Puddle explains, "The alphabet is all the letters we need to write all the words we know." Writing each letter in a bright color, Puddle also paints a picture with a brief alliterative caption. From "Ant alone with apple," to "Queen quietly quilting," to "Zooming zucchini," the captions sometimes depart from the featured letter (e.g.,"Woolly bears waltzing"). Hobbie's watercolors focus frequently on the theme of reading and are full of whimsical humor. As Puddle tries to think of a good answer to Otto's question, "Where does the letter O come from?" the turtle falls on his back with an "Oops" and an "Over." Later, when Otto writes Toot's name, Otto concludes, "OTTO is TOOT spelled inside out." It's the best Toot and Puddle outing yet. Ages 3-6. (Sept.)
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