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| Author: Bill Martin Jr. and John Archambault / Illustration: Lois Ehlert / ISBN: 0-671-67949-X |
Teaching the alphabet letters is one of the most important assignments that a teacher has to do in the classroom. How else are the children going to be able to read and write?! Teachers choose different resources and techniques to teach the subject matter. There is a tremendous amount of books and activities, to support the children's learning.
For me, my most favorite book to teach children letter recognition is "Chicka Chicka Boom Boom" by Bill Martin Jr. and John Archambault . It is an educational while a fun book at the same time. The story is very simple and children enjoy it. It starts with the naughty lower case letters A telling B and B telling C to meet "at the top of the coconut tree". In alphabetical order the letters begin to climb the coconut tree, but as more and more letters climb up, the tree begins to bend over until "CHICKA CHICKA.....BOOM! BOOM!", the letters all fall off. Comforted by their parents (upper case letters), the letters get untangled in alphabetical order. The story ends by (lower case) A going up again the coconut tree. The ending of the book invites students to read the book again and again.
" Chicka chicka Boom Boom" is not only an alphabet book that shows the child the letter and a word that begins with the letter, but it contains a story line that keeps the listener interested about what is going to happen next. This book has the ability of captivating the children's attention and keeps them wondering if all the letters of the alphabet are going to fit inside the coconut tree. Moreover, I love the fun and rhythmic way in which this book can be read. It also contains a lot of repetition which is a key element in remembering and memorizing.
Lois Ehlert is an award wining illustrator and she did an amazing job in this book. Her collage is so simple and vibrant. I love the Pink and yellow Polka dot borders on the edge of each page. It sets each page with a brilliant shot of colors and makes it very attractive for children to look at. She also uses bright colors for the alphabet letters which I find very appealing for children.
What I like the most about this book is the way it conveys to the children "The Family Bond". The Baby lower case letters get saved by Mommy and Daddy the upper case letters after they fall from the coconut tree. This is something the children can relate to. Children can always depend on Mom's and Dad's help when they need it.
This sounds like a really cute book. You're totally right when you stated that books have a certain rhyme and rhythms to it, even if the words don’t literally rhyme together. The more interesting and involved the book the more it will help with the learning process to the point that the child may not realize that they are picking up on letters of the alphabet. I think you picked a good book that can help children learn letters and some music too.
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