Dr. Seuss's ABC: An Amazing Alphabet Book!

BIG R, little r,
what begins with R?
Rosy's red rhinoceros.
R...r...R

From Aunt Annie's Alligator to Rosy's red rhinoceros to a Zizzer-Zazzer-Zuzz, learning the alphabet is bound to be fun with Dr. Seuss. And with this small, sturdy board-book version of his classic ABC book (Dr. Seuss's ABC), even the tiniest tots can indulge in a little alphabetical education. Each letter is featured with Dr. Seuss's unmistakably nonsensical illustrations and text: "Lion with a lollipop," "Camel on the ceiling," "Uncle Ubb's umbrella and his underwear, too." The youngest readers-to-be will get lots of letter practice with the repetitive use of each letter and the easy-to-memorize rhythmic rhymes. Soon your favorite preschooler will be reading this book aloud to you! (Baby to preschool) --Emilie Coulter

The original -
"BIG V, little v
Vera Violet Vinn
Is very, very, very awful on her violin."

Revised edition -
"BIG V, little v, what begins with V?
Verna Vera Vin and her violet violin."

I am flabbergasted by the lack of enthusiasm for the revised board book editions of Dr. Seuss's (and others) "Beginner Books" published by Random House. I am thrilled to have the opportunity to offer my infant son a CLASSIC narrative, by means of a board book, even in its ADAPTED form. These magical miniatures are delightfully entertaining for little babies, who enjoy the positive interaction of cooperative play through reading. The objectives of these small books are to appeal to newborns, and very young children with short attention spans who are not attentive enough for the full text versions, they are NOT meant to replace the originals. Moreover, these pocketsize gems are fashioned for effortless travel to the market, on a plane, in the car, or on a train. Hee, hee.

I own most of Dr. Seuss's first editions, in addition to a few of the board book volumes, and agree that the original "Beginner Books" are just that - ORIGINAL. They are more amusing, entertaining, and educational, but are in fact more appropriate for older children, 4 years and older. I believe introducing infants to creative works, such as these, only encourages listening and learning from an earlier age. In summary, if your child is three or older purchase an original version, otherwise think of introducing your infant to the shorter, travel-anywhere format, and procure the original at a later date. The marvelous, magical magician, who was Dr. Seuss is worth it! Birth and up.


Dr. Seuss's ABC   August 30, 2001
A. Rayhan Ahmad (Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia)
9 out of 10 found this review helpful

The copy that I have is not a board book, thus I can't really comment on the board book version. Whatever it is, I have to say that this is a wonderful book. Knowing an 8-month old, they can't really sit still but this book has worked wonders to my 8-month old daughter. She was practically glued on my lap and gave one hundred percent attention as I read the book to her. The rhymes are catchy and fun to read, the alphabets were featured in Big and small letters with bright colors and the illustrations are huge and wonderful.These make the book appealing to the little ones. It would be a lot more fun if you sing to them with the "twinkle, twinkle little star" tune.


My daughter's favorite   December 12, 1999
Raymond Henry (Philadelphia, PA USA)
4 out of 4 found this review helpful

This is the first book I read to my daughter. It always calmed her when she cried. We read it over and over and now I have it memorized. She is 10 months old now and all I have to do is say "Big A" and she gives my a big smile.


Lovingly reconfigured for tiny tots just learning to enjoy books!   July 18, 2006
Jeddy 3
4 out of 4 found this review helpful

Yes, this is an abridged version. But it's not mutilated. The abridgement was done very sensitively, and if you didn't know better, you'd think it was just as Dr Seuss wrote it. It really captures his joyful "voice" and his distinctive lilting rhymes.

I can't praise this board book enough. Sturdy, bright, shiny, colorful, beautifully printed, and huge*. My 7-month-old son goes crazy for these great big durable Seuss editions. He can gum the spine and smack the cover and even turn the pages eagerly (if clumsily) without wrecking the book, so we both have a great time reading it. To me, that is the point of books for the very young -- to have fun with them and teach them that reading is a joy.

I will certainly get the regular edition when he's old enough, because this edition is not quite the same book. But it is not an inferior book, either. It's "the simplest Seuss for toddlers' use," as it says on the cover. Your baby won't know about revisions or edits. All he'll know is that reading is fun and books rock, thanks to Dr. Seuss.

*(Please note that I'm reviewing to the -Oversized- Bright and Early Board Book edition, which is also sold on Amazon. The little versions are also very good in their own way, but I highly recommend getting the oversized versions when possible. They're beautifully produced and a big hit with the little ones!)