Reviews: (by author)

Domeniconi, David. G Is for Golden: A California Alphabet. Illus. Pam Carroll. Chelsea: MI: Sleeping Bear Press, 2002. $17.95. ISBN 1-58536-045-7.

As a Californian, I much enjoyed this book—but don’t get me wrong; I’d enjoy it anyway. The sea otter illustration for K (Kelp) is worth the entire price of the book. The poppies are especially nice, too. In fact, the illustrations are outstanding. Each page has a catchy poem of three or four lines on a beautifully laid-out page; a lot of information is conveyed. And you have to like a book which uses Zorro for Z.

G Is for Golden is actually one of a lovely hardback picturebook series by Sleeping Bear Press in Michigan, for example H Is for Hoosier, P Is for Peach, and G Is for Golden. Their P Is for Passport: A World Alphabet is also reviewed here; I found it outstanding. Each is nicely laid out in the same format: a rhymed poem; soft, detailed, multiple illustrations; and informative prose running along the borders. It’s an inviting layout. The poems hit highlights of a place and are lively. The imagination of selecting John Steinbeck, Ishi, and Levis (unfortunately, this is spelled Levi’s in the book) as subjects makes for an enjoyable array of topics. The series would be a valuable addition to classrooms.

A. Allison Fall ‘04

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