Reviews: (by author)

Seeley, Laura. The Book of Shadow Boxes: A Story of the ABC's. Atlanta: Peachtree, 1999. ISBN 093460165-8. $17.95.

This book provides a lot of entertainment for its price. It's an alphabet book plus an I Spy book plus a hidden pictures book, all beautifully illustrated. Each letter has its own rhyme and each time the letter is used in the rhyme, it's put in bold, whether a capital or a small letter. Thus, the letter is emphasized and shown in context. The rhymes are appealing, and on the bottom of the left side page with the text, the little ghost-looking character called Shadow asks the reader to find something on the right hand page. The illustrations on the right display numerous things beginning with the appropriate letter, each in its own box, some of them named in the rhyme but some left for the child to discover. Seeley decorates the borders with additional letter-appropriate things. Many of the items are smilingly personified, adding to the book's inviting design.

A very imaginative selection for a child's ABC library.

A.A. Nov. '02

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