Ogres! Ogres! Ogres! A Feasting Frenzy From A to Z

Title: Ogres! Ogres! Ogres! A Feasting Frenzy From A to Z
Author: Nicholas Heller
Publisher: Greenwillow Books
Date of Publication: 1999
Illustrator: Jos. A. Smith
Genre Designation: Children’s Fiction
Readability Lexile: K-3 (ages 5-9)

Summary:
An interesting take on a children’s alphabet book.  This is an alphabet book that is unlike many that have come before it.  When the reader opens the book we are invited into the basement, where we see ogres feasting on letters from A to Z.  Each page pulls the reader in as we see the ogres eating through the alphabet.  Each ogre is unique in their own right as they eat their letter, yet always giving a hint about what letter might be coming up next. 

Evaluation:
This is definitely a creative take on the standard alphabet book, however I am not sure if it is the most accessible piece of literature for a reader at this level.  The books focus is on “eating through the alphabet” but then the words used to represent the letters are incredibly difficult.  For example the letter “A” is represented with, “Abednego adores anchovy butter,” For a beginning reader these words could present a rather large challenge.  While this book may not be for all young readers, I can see how the words within the book can be discouraging for a young reader and may in turn shut down completely.  This book does do a nice job with the use of alliteration, even if the words are a bit difficult.  As previously mentioned the author does also work in the element of foreshadowing by including a word with the upcoming letter at the end of sentence.  I do feel as if the story has some very positive aspects.  The first being that the illustrations are lively and exciting, which are a lot of fun for the reader to look at.  I think that this book would be a nice tool to use when beginning to teach students about alliteration or foreshadowing.  The book uses these elements over, and over again and they are easy to see.  I don’t believe that I would use this as an alphabet book however because while it serves the purpose of letter recognition it makes it hard for the student to move beyond that point of sounding out the word.

Mini-lesson:
This mini-lesson would focus on learning the alphabet.  We would the story as a read aloud and then each student would get to make their own ABC book.  They would write the letter and draw their very own special goofy picture to go with the letter!