A PRAIRIE ALPHABET Jo Bannatyne-Cugnet Illustrated by Yvette Moore Montréal, Tundra Books, 1992. 32pp, cloth, $19.95 ISBN 0-88776-292-1. CIP Subject Headings: English languag-Alphabet-Juvenile literature. Farm life-Prairie Provinces-Juvenile literature. Prairie Provinces-Pictorial works. Kindergarten-grade 2 / Ages 5-7 Reviewed by Pearl Herscovitch Volume 20 Number 6 1992 November Although this picture-book falls short as an alphabet book, it shines as an introduction to prairie farm life. While the text is often overwritten and forced ("We auction our Aberdeen Angus at Agribition," "A mouse munches a meal of millet by moonlight"), the alliteration and interesting vocabulary will appeal to young word lovers. A useful glossary has been appended. Readers will find themselves identifying combines, elevators, oil pumps and sundogs in the large, realistic acrylics that accompany the text. These are crisp and detailed and will entice readers back for a second or third look. The figures are at times stiff, but the illustrator has managed to capture aspects of everyday rural life and prairie landscape not often pictured in children's books. A welcome addition to libraries looking for more material on the prairie provinces. Pearl Herscovitch is a curriculum librarian in the Faculty of Education at the University Calgary in Calgary, Alberta.