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ABCity is out
from Schiffer Kids! Check back for reviews, more info, free downloads Scroll down this page for ALL 26 letters
to print out and color in. |
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Preliminary sketches from "ABCity" are shown in the new exhibition, "Building Stories," at the National Building Museum in Washington DC!
A wonderful video with Leonard S. Marcus produced by Julie Gribble of KidLit TV. (I have an appearance... ;-)))
"ABCity" is featured!! A must-see exhibition in Washington DC.
Click below, or go to https://youtu.be/oC9b4AiSQcs?si=VsvzoJmG_sC1HaPm
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Opening the box with my BRAND NEW NEVER-SEEN-BEFORE BOOK in it! Click video on right. |
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Here's the short lively TRAILER for ABCity on YouTube...
Click icon on left or this link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C9J5Mg2tRIw |
On January 21, 2024, at the National Building Museum in Washington DC, a major exhibition called "Building Stories" will take kids and adults alike on an immersive exploration of the world of architecture, engineering, construction, and design found in the pages of children’s books, curated by Leonard Marcus.
"ABCity" will be featured, with some of the preliminary drawings showing the book's creative process.
Here's more info: www.nbm.org/exhibition/building-stories/
Fabulous review and activities developed by
Lake County Public Library in Indiana!
"ABCity by Roxie Munro is a fantastic interactive read that encourages kids to explore the world around them - and helps them build per-reading skills!"
ABCity is both a maze and seek-and-find. Readers follow a teeny tiny Chris and his dog Rusty as they walk through the city in search of a park. Along the way, each double page spread shows large alphabet letter buildings that lead the reader from A-Z, as well as a seek-and-find of different things that start with those letters hidden on the page.
By making the book a maze, this is a wonderful way to play with children while they learn about the alphabet and consider new vocabulary.
While reading this book, go over the vocabulary presented in the seek-and-find.
Ask if they know any other words that start with the letters on the page. This encourages vocabulary and background knowledge.
Trace a finger on the building letters. By doing so children work on print awareness, letter awareness, and writing skills.
Play with your child by asking them what is happening on certain pages. Talk to them about different buildings in your own city.
By making the book a maze, this is a wonderful way to play with children while they learn about the alphabet and consider new vocabulary.
While reading this book, go over the vocabulary presented in the seek-and-find.
Ask if they know any other words that start with the letters on the page. This encourages vocabulary and background knowledge.
Trace a finger on the building letters. By doing so children work on print awareness, letter awareness, and writing skills.
Play with your child by asking them what is happening on certain pages. Talk to them about different buildings in your own city.
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Extend the Book with a Letter Search Craft
Supplies:
- Magazines/ or junk mail you don’t mind being cut up
- scissors
- glue
- crayons or markers
- Help your child look through the magazine or junk mail you’ve chosen for the letters of their name. Choose large fonts that are easy to cut out.
- Cut out the letters as you find them and help your child glue them to a page of construction paper.
- Next, let your child make a picture around their name. This can be an abstract picture, or they can make a city-scape as seen in the book.
And, later, this Indiana Lake County Public System (10 library locations) chose it for "This Month's Featured Reads!"
LCPL staff have selected these books because kids love them and they help build important pre-reading skills. Check them out today!
LCPL staff have selected these books because kids love them and they help build important pre-reading skills. Check them out today!
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Skills:
• Print Awareness • Vocabulary • Background Knowledge • Letter Knowledge |
Practices:
• Talking • Reading • Writing • Playing |
Extend the book by with a letter search craft (see, above)!
Wolfy (grandson of well-known children's book author, Marvin Terban) with Keran (grandmom) and Marvin coloring in letters from "ABCity" (scroll down to print out letters for FREE). Wolfy is the mayor of Wolfy Town.
He strung them together to make a banner for his bedroom.
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In OCTOBER, I'll be signing ABCity (and other books) at the following venues:
OCTOBER 1: 2nd Rye Annual Children's Book Festival, Rye Free Reading Room Library, Rye, NY. 10AM-4PM.
1:30PM: Art Demo/Program for Children
OCTOBER 2: "The Magic of Storybook Animals: Original Illustrations for Children's Books About Animals," Opening Party on Sunday, October 2, 2022, from 11am-4pm.
OCTOBER 2 - NOVEMBER 12: "The Magic of Storybook Animals: Original Illustrations
for Children’s Books about Animals," Rye Arts Center, Rye, NY https://www.ryeartscenter.org/
OCTOBER 8: Warwick Children's Book Festival, NY. Albert Wisner Public Library, 11AM - 4PM.
OCTOBER 9: Booksigning, Neiman Marcus, Garden City, LI, NY. 2-4PM (show up September 16 - October 9)
OCTOBER 15: Chappaqua Children's Book Festival, NY. Chappaqua Train Station, 10AM - 4PM.
OCTOBER 16: Gold Coast Arts Center opening party for book art exhibition. Great Neck, NY
OCTOBER 1: 2nd Rye Annual Children's Book Festival, Rye Free Reading Room Library, Rye, NY. 10AM-4PM.
1:30PM: Art Demo/Program for Children
OCTOBER 2: "The Magic of Storybook Animals: Original Illustrations for Children's Books About Animals," Opening Party on Sunday, October 2, 2022, from 11am-4pm.
OCTOBER 2 - NOVEMBER 12: "The Magic of Storybook Animals: Original Illustrations
for Children’s Books about Animals," Rye Arts Center, Rye, NY https://www.ryeartscenter.org/
OCTOBER 8: Warwick Children's Book Festival, NY. Albert Wisner Public Library, 11AM - 4PM.
OCTOBER 9: Booksigning, Neiman Marcus, Garden City, LI, NY. 2-4PM (show up September 16 - October 9)
OCTOBER 15: Chappaqua Children's Book Festival, NY. Chappaqua Train Station, 10AM - 4PM.
OCTOBER 16: Gold Coast Arts Center opening party for book art exhibition. Great Neck, NY
KIRKUS review
ABCITY
MAZE & SEEK-N-FIND
So many sights to see in a city!
This concept book works in two ways: as a maze through the city streets that traces through the entire book and as a seek-and-find, which is a page-to-page activity. The buildings in the city are shaped like alphabetical letters, hence the book’s title, and the items to find are on the buildings and outside of them and correspond to the buildings’ letters: an ambulance and banana on the A and B page, a jaguar on the J page, etc. The illustrations are carefully composed, with bird’s-eye-view shots of construction sites, train tracks, a hospital, a swimming pool, and much more. The objects to find are quite tiny, and because the streets form a maze, some readers may have trouble focusing on each page. Still, readers up for a challenge will enjoy spending time with this book. Laudably, Munro depicts a city where greenery is plentiful and where there are many different things to stumble upon—each day is its own journey...
A concept book for the sharpest of eyes. (answer key) (Activity book. 5-8)
MAZE & SEEK-N-FIND
So many sights to see in a city!
This concept book works in two ways: as a maze through the city streets that traces through the entire book and as a seek-and-find, which is a page-to-page activity. The buildings in the city are shaped like alphabetical letters, hence the book’s title, and the items to find are on the buildings and outside of them and correspond to the buildings’ letters: an ambulance and banana on the A and B page, a jaguar on the J page, etc. The illustrations are carefully composed, with bird’s-eye-view shots of construction sites, train tracks, a hospital, a swimming pool, and much more. The objects to find are quite tiny, and because the streets form a maze, some readers may have trouble focusing on each page. Still, readers up for a challenge will enjoy spending time with this book. Laudably, Munro depicts a city where greenery is plentiful and where there are many different things to stumble upon—each day is its own journey...
A concept book for the sharpest of eyes. (answer key) (Activity book. 5-8)
LIBRARY COLUMN | New picture books kids will love
- Laura Ransom Contributing writer
Roxie Munro’s “ABCity” is a fabulous choice for kids who love “Where’s Waldo?” or Richard Scarry’s “Busytown” books. The illustrated buildings and sidewalks are all shaped like letters of the alphabet. Each page has a list of items to find such as balloons and books hidden on the “B” page. You’ll find even more unlisted items hiding in the pictures. There are many tiny details for kids to discover.
Bookworm for Kids presents books for toddlers to teens & everything in between: board books, picture books, chapter books, middle grade reads, tween reads,
and young adult literature.
I love to get my hands on books such as today's read...which isn't a read so much as an activity with a few words thrown in. But it does practice the ABCs and word identification. It's a seek-n-find combined with mazes book. Plus, there's some coloring possibilities as well. In other words, this one appears to be something perfect for those indoor days.
Take a walk through ABCity! Seek and find all 26-letters of the alphabet as you travel through an intricate maze of sidewalks and paths. In each of the 13 bustling mazes, look for cleverly hidden objects that correspond to each of the letters hidden within the streets and signs. From airplanes and ambulances to zebras and zippers, the maze weaves through the city as you help Chris and his dog Rusty find their way from A to Z. Answer keys are provided in the back, along with a large, two-sided, foldout poster of the city--one side to display and the other side to color. Jump-start your child's learning while having fun walking this unique one-of-a-kind city maze!
This maze book features the following:
- Oversized, full-color interior that engages young minds to interact with the alphabet in a new and unique way
- 13 educational and entertaining puzzles designed to help improve fine motor, problem-solving, and visual-perceptual skills
- Foldout, removable poster to display or color
- Final spread shows the entire ABC City
Created for puzzle-loving kids, the maze contains some complicated tricks. It's mind-bending, super-challenging, and highly visual fun for the entire family.
MY TIDBITS
Featuring the busy streets of a city, these pages offer mazes and many things to discover along the way.
First, I should point out that I received a digital copy of this book, which made it more difficult to review then I expected, since this didn't allow for the same turning easy the mazes required nor the 2-page spreads, which would have made both maze and finding aspects easier. Plus, I did not get to view the removable poster and can't comment on that. So, my thoughts are limited on what I could see.
The illustrations offer the exact business needed to make a seek-n-find fun and did a good job at bringing across the variety and energy of each scene. It was enjoyable to search through everything to find the list of items and discover much more along the way.
The seek-n-find items are listed in a small, clear circle on each 2-page spread, and these are sorted in alphabetical order to also encourage practicing the ABCs. There are about seven items on each list, all of which are familiar and no problem to recognize in the illustrations...when they are discovered, of course. At the end of the book, the location of each item is presented on an overview of the entire city to help with those items, which might prove a bit difficult. Some items are easier to find than others, but none are overly difficult and fit well to the intended audience level.
As for the maze, I found this to be confusing and didn't really understand what was meant. I'm hoping this will be more clear when the 2-pages lie next to each other and when the entire map is viewable on the poster. But I really couldn't decipher much with the digital format. So, I'm going to leave this aspect out of the review.
The book does appear to be quite a bit of fun, especially if the poster offers a nice overview and the coloring is as detailed as I expect it might be.
Seek-n-find fans will enjoy the fun.
and young adult literature.
I love to get my hands on books such as today's read...which isn't a read so much as an activity with a few words thrown in. But it does practice the ABCs and word identification. It's a seek-n-find combined with mazes book. Plus, there's some coloring possibilities as well. In other words, this one appears to be something perfect for those indoor days.
Take a walk through ABCity! Seek and find all 26-letters of the alphabet as you travel through an intricate maze of sidewalks and paths. In each of the 13 bustling mazes, look for cleverly hidden objects that correspond to each of the letters hidden within the streets and signs. From airplanes and ambulances to zebras and zippers, the maze weaves through the city as you help Chris and his dog Rusty find their way from A to Z. Answer keys are provided in the back, along with a large, two-sided, foldout poster of the city--one side to display and the other side to color. Jump-start your child's learning while having fun walking this unique one-of-a-kind city maze!
This maze book features the following:
- Oversized, full-color interior that engages young minds to interact with the alphabet in a new and unique way
- 13 educational and entertaining puzzles designed to help improve fine motor, problem-solving, and visual-perceptual skills
- Foldout, removable poster to display or color
- Final spread shows the entire ABC City
Created for puzzle-loving kids, the maze contains some complicated tricks. It's mind-bending, super-challenging, and highly visual fun for the entire family.
MY TIDBITS
Featuring the busy streets of a city, these pages offer mazes and many things to discover along the way.
First, I should point out that I received a digital copy of this book, which made it more difficult to review then I expected, since this didn't allow for the same turning easy the mazes required nor the 2-page spreads, which would have made both maze and finding aspects easier. Plus, I did not get to view the removable poster and can't comment on that. So, my thoughts are limited on what I could see.
The illustrations offer the exact business needed to make a seek-n-find fun and did a good job at bringing across the variety and energy of each scene. It was enjoyable to search through everything to find the list of items and discover much more along the way.
The seek-n-find items are listed in a small, clear circle on each 2-page spread, and these are sorted in alphabetical order to also encourage practicing the ABCs. There are about seven items on each list, all of which are familiar and no problem to recognize in the illustrations...when they are discovered, of course. At the end of the book, the location of each item is presented on an overview of the entire city to help with those items, which might prove a bit difficult. Some items are easier to find than others, but none are overly difficult and fit well to the intended audience level.
As for the maze, I found this to be confusing and didn't really understand what was meant. I'm hoping this will be more clear when the 2-pages lie next to each other and when the entire map is viewable on the poster. But I really couldn't decipher much with the digital format. So, I'm going to leave this aspect out of the review.
The book does appear to be quite a bit of fun, especially if the poster offers a nice overview and the coloring is as detailed as I expect it might be.
Seek-n-find fans will enjoy the fun.
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Download & print out
individual letters! Your initials (mine are R and M) or the letters that spell your name. Color in the letter on the page. Click on the letter or on "Download File." |
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