Disclosure: The author of this post received a free e-book copy of this book in exchange for this review. All opinions are 100% my own.

Buggy is no longer my first grader. It is summer vacation and she is now going to be my big second grader! And Buddy? He isn’t my baby anymore. He is now my big Kindergartner and will start school in August when school starts up again.

Buddy has not been keen on the idea of school and refused to attend preschool. I actually just got him to accept that he has to go to school within the last month, so learning has been something he hasn’t willingly done. Until now.

When I was provided the opportunity to review Alphabet Anatomy: Meet the Capital Letters, I jumped at the opportunity! I figured this would be a great way to not only get him to sit still and read a book (it came as an e-book which meant we could read it on my Kindle Fire which mean major points for my techy boy!) but it would also help him learn his alphabet.

Alphabet Anatomy’s innovative rhyming verses and unique illustrations instruct on letter sound, recognition, AND how to write the letter, thus its anatomy. Thoroughly entertaining, each letter’s heartwarming personality and characteristics will engage and delight children as they discover what the letters do behind the scenes when they’re not busy making words. The letters know that the journey to reading is inherently complex, and mastery of these essential skills is absolutely vital for future success. In Alphabet Anatomy, the letters love to share their lives, and their highest aspiration is that each child who meets them will embrace this wondrous journey, and develop a life-long love for not only reading but writing as well. Alphabet Anatomy teaches full understanding of the alphabet, that is, the four inter-connected components: 1. Letter shape knowledge or recognition; 2. Letter name knowledge; 3. Letter sound knowledge; 4. Letter writing ability. In addition, Alphabet Anatomy utilizes the four core elements which extensive research has proven effectively teach reading and provide a solid and effective foundation for proficient reading in later years: 1. Phonological awareness; 2. Letter identification; 3. Vocabulary development; 4. Recall and retell sentences and stories.

My Thoughts:

I am not going to lie to you (the disclosure up there says the opinions are 100% my own so technically, I can’t lie to you or else that wouldn’t be right, right?)

The first time Buddy and I read this together, I was… lost. Confused. I didn’t like it. The words used were above what my 5 year old knows and I just didn’t comprehend how I was supposed to make my little boy understand what I was reading if the words were so big. I just didn’t get it. And I will admit, I skipped over most of what was written and ad-libbed the book, focusing on the letters and words that he would know started with the letter. Honestly? Buddy only half listened and I figured the whole thing was a bust anyway.

The next night – no joke – the absolute next night, Buddy asked me to read him his new ABC book on my Kindle Fire (this was the

only

ABC book on my Kindle Fire at the time so I knew this was the one he was talking about). This time, I actually read the words and understood why they were written the way they were written.

I had Buddy tell me the letters that he knew, and then I read the little blurb underneath the letter as I showed him on the letter what the book was saying (for example, the letter D has a ladder that you climb up and then you dive down and around). And not only did the blurb show how the letter looked – most of them rhymed which made it even more fun.

When we finished reading it that second night, he asked me to immediately read it again! He was totally loving it and when we went through it the third time, he was able to recognize even more letters and tell me what they were associated with (like that the letter D was for dive as he traced the letter D with his finger showing how you climb up the ladder and then dive down and around).

My little guy helped me realize the importance of those silly words that I thought would just screw him up! They actually helped him understand better and I am so proud to announce that he is learning more and more.

This summer we will be spending more and more time reading Alphabet Anatomy: Meet the Capital Letters so that by the time August rolls around and he starts school, he will know all of his letters!

Overall, I am very pleased with this book and will keep it on hand to use with Lil Miss when she gets to the age of learning her ABC’s. I highly recommend it for a little one going into preschool or Kindergarten to help them grasp the concept of their capital letters!

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